Modern Studies Political Issues in the UK: Government and Decision Making

NATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS CURRICULUM SUPPORT

Modern Studies

Political Issues in the UK:

Government and Decision Making in Central Government

[ACCESS 3]

Paul Creaney

The Scottish Qualifications Authority regularly reviews the arrangements for National Qualifications. Users of all NQ support materials, whether published by

Learning and Teaching Scotland or others, are reminded that it is their responsibility to check that the support materials correspond to the requirements of the current arrangements.

Acknowledgement

Learning and Teaching Scotland gratefully acknowledges this contribution to the National

Qualifications support programme for Modern Studies.

The publishers gratefully acknowledge permission from the following sources to reproduce copyright material: map from UK Polling Report http://ukpollingreport.co.uk

; image of

Gordon Brown’s cabinet © Reuters/Stephen Hird; image of ‘Espionage agents or election agents?’ © BBC News Online; image of ‘You can hide behind the door but you cannot escape the canvassers’ © BBC News Online; images and text from http://www.joswinson.org.uk

reproduced with permission from Jo Swinson MP.

Every effort has been made to trace all the copyright holders but if any have been inadvertently overlooked, the publishers will be pleased to make the necessary arrangements at the first opportunity.

© Learning and Teaching Scotland 2008

This resource may be reproduced in whole or in part for educational purposes by educational establishments in Scotland provided that no profit accrues at any stage.

2 POLITICAL ISSUES IN THE UK (ACCESS 3, MODERN STUDIES)


Contents

Introduction

Section 1: The UK Parliament

What is Parliament?

House of Commons

The Monarchy

Laws and Parliament

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Opposition in Parliament

The House of Lords

Useful websites

Section 2: The Scottish Parliament

A Parliament for Scotland

What is meant by the special relationship?

Working together

Useful websites

Section 3: The Government and Executive

Role and powers of the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and

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46 the Civil Service

Role and powers of the Prime Minister

What does the Civil Service do?

The Cabinet

Places in Parliament

Parliamentary whips

Useful websites

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Section 4: An Election

Voting

General Election

Constituencies

Electoral System

Useful websites

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POLITICAL ISSUES IN THE UK (ACCESS 3, MODERN STUDIES)


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CONTENTS

Section 5: Electing an MP

Election Campaigns

Role of an MP

MPs outside Parliament

Useful websites

Section 6: Pressure groups

Democracy and pressure groups

How the government uses pressure groups

Advantages and disadvantages of pressure groups

How successful are pressure groups?

Useful websites

Section 7: Media

Types of media

Newspapers

The power of newspapers

Useful websites

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INTRODUCTION

Introduction

This topic provides an opportunity to examine key political issues relevant to contemporary Britain, regarding primarily government and decision making in central government. The unit follows the requirements found in Access 3 Modern Studies arrangements document.

Learning Outcome 1

Demonstrate basic knowledge and understanding of political issues pertaining to Study Theme 1B, where an issue is both described and explained in basic terms.

Learning Outcome 2

Evaluate straightforward sources relating to the political issues pertaining to Study Theme 1B where sources are evaluated accurately and relevant evidence is selected from them.

The study theme is divided into several parts;

Decision making for the UK:



The UK Parliament



The House of Lords and the House of Commons



The Powers of the Prime Minister



The Cabinet



The work of a backbencher



Participating in the voting system; forms of participation.



Reasons for variation in voter turnout at elections.



Influence of the media on the political system and level of participation.



Case Study: the influence of the press on politics



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INTRODUCTION

The unit contains a variety of learning and teaching a pproaches which cover the following range of skills :



Knowledge and skills enrichment – through exposure to wide range of resources



Media awareness



Engagement in group discussion – role play exercises and simulations



Development of writing skills



Encouragement of independent learning



INTRODUCTION

Articulation with a Curriculum for Excellence

‘The purpose of the Curriculum for Excellence is to improve the learning, attainment and achievement of children and young people in

Scotland… and acquire the full range of skills and abilities to growing, living and working in the contemporary world.’

As a teaching resource, this unit endeavours to fully and comprehensively provide an opportunity to reflect on positive learning and teaching. As such, the seven principles that underpin Curriculum for Excellence are considered in the development of this resource:

 challenge and enjoyment

 breadth

 progression

 depth

 personalisation and choice

 coherence

 relevance

This resource provides the foundation stones that can be adapted to suit the learner. In this way, the resource, whilst adhering to the key learning outcomes and arrangements, does not expect rigid application.

It provides a springboard for new opportunities, concepts and ideas. In its truest sense, the comprehensiveness of the content offers full coverage of the syllabus and, as a teaching resource, can be tailored to suit the requirements of the learner.

Study Theme 1B: Government and Decision Making in Central

Government meets the requirements of Curriculum for Excellence in the following ways.

Successful Learners

Enthusiasm and motivation for learning can be achieved.

Literacy-based activities will provide an opportunity to further develop literacy skills to an appropriate standard by the fulfillment of activities within the unit.

Communication skills can be progressed. Discussion and debate can be facilitated on any of the unit themes; for example, the impact of the media on politics and ability to detect bias.



7

INTRODUCTION

Numeracy skills can be effectively developed through the u se of different types and styles of graphs and tables.

Learners are encouraged to express reasoned evaluations/opinions throughout.

Opportunities to learn independently or as part of a group can be provided; students could work through this unit with varying degrees of tutor input.

Confident Individuals

The key concepts underpinning citizenship are implicit in this unit.

Learners are given the opportunity to ascertain rights and responsibilities as well as the political structure and aspects of the political process. The unit equips learners with knowledge of a political system that they can/will participate in.

Learners have a clearer grasp of the society in which they live.

The unit provides a framework that encourages independent thought, discussion and debate. By so doing, it promotes a sense of self-respect as well as physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

The variety of tasks/activities within the resource can provide potential for the development of inter-personal and communication skills of the learner.

Responsible Citizens

Develop a knowledge and understanding of political decision making within the UK: learners will be afforded the opportunity to learn about the two Houses of Parliament and the monarchy. They will also have the opportunity to learn about how laws are made in Parliament.

Understand Scotland’s place in the British political syste m: learners have the opportunity to learn about the Scottish parliament.

Learners are offered the opportunity to be aware of the constant changes within politics and the political system , for example changes to leadership.



INTRODUCTION

Make informed choices and decisions : learners are given the opportunity to be equipped with knowledge of the British political system. Learners can develop knowledge and skills that will in turn enable effective participation. The resource endeavours to establish a core ethos, namely the commitment to participate responsibly in political, economic, social and cultural life.

Evaluate environmental, scientific and technolo gical issues : Learners can gain an understanding of how government decisions can affect the government.

Develop informed, ethical views of complex issues . The learner is provided with appropriate information from which their critical thinking skills can be developed; for example, they will have the opportunity to make judgements and develop values.

Effective Contributors

This unit enables the learner to communicate in different ways and in different settings. Learners have the opportunity to use a vari ety of communication skills: pictorial, statistical, graphic and verbal.

Learners may also have the opportunity to develop technological skills through investigative work or through presentations.

Learners, through the variation in learning and teaching a pproaches, can be afforded the chance to establish a more enterprising attitude. In such a way, scope for alteration, adaptation or development is encouraged where learners have developed a real interest or enthusiasm for a subject/activity. This could lead to an injection of resilience and self-reliance.

Some of the exercises involve group discussions, critical thinking and problem solving. Learners have the opportunity to work collaboratively as well as independently in developing informed attitudes.



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THE UK PARLIAMENT

Section 1: The UK Parliament

What is Parliament?

In this part you will learn:

 what parliament is

 that parliament has three parts

 that there are two chambers within parliament.

The UK Parliament

The United Kingdom Parliament is the name given t o the place where all the representatives called Members of Parliament (MPs) meet to make decisions and decide new laws for the United Kingdom.

They meet in a building called the Palace of

Westminster in London.

Parliament is made up of three parts.

The three parts are:

1. House of Commons

2. House of Lords

3. Monarchy

The Monarch is the Queen or King.

We sometimes forget that the Monarchy is part of Parliament.

The Monarch must be present to open Parliament.




Parliament also has two chambers, or Houses. A chamber is a big meeting room.

The two chambers are:

1.

House of Commons 2. House of Lords

It is called a bi-cameral Parliament. Bi-cameral means having two chambers.

The House of Commons

The first chamber is known as the House of Commons . It has 646 people, or members, in it. Each member in the House of Commons is known as a Member of Parliament or MP.

The House of Lords

The second chamber is known as the House of Lords. It has about 700 people or members in it. Each member in the Hous e of Lords is known as a Peer .

The Monarchy (the Queen or King) is the Head of State of the UK but does not get involved in running the country.



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Factfile

To visit Parliament you would have to travel to a place called

Westminster, which is in London. Here, Parliament is in a building called Westminster Palace .

At one end of Westminster Palace is a large clock tower . Big Ben is actually the name of the bell that chimes not the tower.

At the other end of Westminster Palace (opposite Big Ben) is another tower. This is called Victoria Tower . The Victoria Tower holds all the documents about Parliament.

In between Big Ben and Victoria Tower are the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

Activities

1. Match the beginnings of each sentence to the ends of the sentences below.

Copy out the complete sentences.

Beginnings

Parliament is…

The building where it meets is called…

The place where it meets is in

Endings

Westminster Palace. the name we give to the place where all the representatives o f all the constituencies meet to make decisions and decide new laws for the United Kingdom.

London.




2. Copy and complete the passage by filling in the blanks using the words in the box underneath.

Parliament is divided into three parts called the _______________, the _______________ and the _______________________.

It has two chambers – these are known as the _______________ and the _______________.

Word box

Monarchy House of Lords House of Commons

3. Look at the two photographs on page 11. One shows the Chamber

(the big meeting room) of the House of Commons. The other shows the Chamber of the House of Lords.

Which Chamber do you like best?

Give a reason for your answer.



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The chamber of the House of Commons has _________ people or members in it. Each member in the House of Commons is known as a _____________________ or _________.

The chamber of the House of Lords has about _______ __ people or members in it. Each member in the House of Lords is known as a _________________.

Word box

MP Peer 700 Member of Parliament 646

5.

‘We sometimes forget that the Monarchy is part of Parliament .’

Write a sentence that best describes what the

Monarch does in Parliament.




House of Commons


 what it means to ‘catch the speaker’s eye’

 what the House of Commons does.

What is the House of Commons?

The House of Commons is the most important part of Parliament. Th is is because it is where MPs meet.

When they meet they:

 discuss policies

 make decisions

 make new laws.

The people who are in the House of Commons are called Members of

Parliament or MPs for short. There are currently 646 Members of

Parliament. Each has a seat in the House of Commons.

Every MP has been elected by the voting public to represent an area of the country known as a constituency . Constituencies are sometimes called Seats .

This means that there are 646 constituencies, one MP for each. 646

Constituencies = 646 Seats = 646 MPs

The big room where they meet is called the Chamber of the House of

Commons.



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Factfile



Although there are 646 MPs each with a seat in the House of

Commons there is actually only room for 427 people to sit down.



There are not actually individual seats; instead there are green leather benches with room for 427 bottoms.



When more than 427 MPs are in the Chamber at the same time MPs have to squeeze onto the benches.



Those who cannot find a space will merely sit on any availa ble space

– the steps or floor – or will even stand.

House of Commons Chamber

The House of Commons chamber is the big meeting room where the

MPs sit to talk about or debate issues. Here an MP called the Speaker controls the debate. The Speaker makes sur e everyone obeys the rules.

The speaker sits on his/her own chair not a bench like everyone else.

This is on a raised platform at one end of the chamber that allows him/her to keep a careful eye on everything that is happening.

During debates, the Speaker’s role is similar to that of a referee.

Catching the Speaker’s eye

If an MP wishes to speak in the House of Commons they must attract the Speaker’s attention because it is the Speaker who chooses who may speak. This is called ‘ catching the Speaker’s eye ’.

Sometimes more than one MP wants to speak at the same time. It is up to the Speaker which one will speak first. That is the one who can catch the Speaker’s eye first.

All the MPs from the Government Party sit on benches to the right of the Speaker and all the Opposition MPs sit on benches to the left of the

Speaker.

Therefore, the Government MPs and the Opposition MPs sit on benches facing each other.




What does the House of Commons do?

The House of Commons does two things.

It:

 makes laws

 examines the work of Government.

Making laws

One of the jobs of Parliament is to make and pass new laws.

Parliament meets to discuss new ideas for laws. People know about the ideas because they were in the Party’s Manifesto .

The new ideas for laws are called bills. The bills are discussed in both the House of Commons and the House of Lords.

After the discussion, the House of Commons votes to decide if the bill can become a law.

Examining the work of Government

Another job of Parliament is to examine the work of the Prime Minister and Government.

All MPs in the House of Commons can closely look at the work of the

Prime Minister and the Government.

They can get the Prime Minister and the Government to explain or justify their policies and actions. This is called scrutiny .

The House of Commons can scrutinise the work of government.



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Factfile: Scrutiny

An example of scrutiny within the House of Commons is when an MP asks the Prime Minister a question at ‘Prime Minister’s Question Time’.

The Prime Minister is the leader of the Government.

The Prime Minister must answer questions on the Government’s policies and activities or any issue of interest to the public.

Activities

1. Copy and complete the passage by filling in the blanks from the words in the box underneath.

The House of Commons

The people who are in the ________________________________ are called Members of Parliament or __________ for short. There are currently ___________ Members of Parliament. Each has a

___________ in the House of Commons. Every MP has been

_________________ by the voting public to represent an area of the country known as a ________________. Constituencies are sometimes called ________________.

This means that there are 646 constituencies, one MP for each.

646 _______________ = 646 ____________ = 646 __________.

The big room where they meet is called the _________________ of the House of Commons.

Word box constituency 646

House of Commons seats seat

MPs chamber elected




2. Answer the questions below in sentences.

(a) What is the House of Commons Chamber?

(b) Who controls the debate?

(c) What does the Speaker do?

3. Answer the questions below in sentences.

(a) Who chooses who may speak in the House of Commons?

(b) What must an MP do if they want to speak in the House of

Commons?

(c) Where do MPs from the government party sit in the House of

Commons?

(d) Where do Opposition MPs sit in the House of Commons?

4. Copy and complete the two passages by filling in the blanks from the words in the box underneath each passage.

One of the jobs of Parliament is to make and pass ____________

_______________. Parliament meets to discuss new ideas for laws. People know about the ideas because they were in the

Party’s _________________________. The new ideas for laws are called ________________________.

The Bills are discussed in ___________ the House of Commons and the House of Lords. After the discussion, the House of

Commons ______ to decide if the Bill can become a law.

Word box bills both Manifesto votes new laws



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Another job of Parliament is to ___________________the work of the Prime Minister and government. All MPs in the House of

Commons can closely look at the work of the_____________

_________________ and the ___________________________.

They can get the Prime Minister and the government to explain or justify their policies and _____________________________. This is called __________________________________. The House of

Commons can __________________________ the work of government.

Word box actions government scrutiny examine Prime Minister scrutinise




Inside the House of Commons


 how MPs vote in the House of Commons.

The House of Commons Chamber

The House of Commons has a big meeting room called a Chamber. This is where the Members of Parliament who have been elected all meet.

They go there to debate or talk about issues.

It looks like this:

The Speaker sits in the chair in the middle at the back of the chamber.

The Speaker is the person in charge of the debate.

Lobby

Speaker

Lobby

The Members of

Parliament from the winning political party (the

Government

House of

Commons.

) sit on this side of the

Chamber of the

The Members of

Parliament from the losing political parties

(the Opposition ) sit on this side of the Chamber of the House of

Commons.

The Prime Minister sits here.

The Leader of the biggest losing party, the Leader of the

Opposition

Minister.

, sits here, opposite the Prime



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The Members of Parliament debate or talk about issues. When all the talking is over MPs vote on whether they agree or disagree with the issue.

When they vote the Speaker asks MPs to shout out ‘Aye’ (this means yes, the MP is in favour of the issue), or ‘No’ (this means no, the MP is not in favour of the issue).

Sometimes it is not clear which side has the most supporters. It is hard to tell if more MPs shouted out ‘Aye’ or ‘No’. This means that it is difficult to tell who has won the vote.

When this happens they have to vote again. This time they are all counted individually.

They do this by walking through a Lobby . The Lobby they walk through is a corridor behind the Speaker ’s chair.

There are two Lobbies. One lobby is for voting Aye , the other lobby is for voting No. The MPs decide which lobby they want to walk through : the Aye lobby to vote Aye or the No lobby to vote No .

They do not have to do anything other than walk through the lobby because they are counted as they walk through.

When all the MPs have gone through the Lobbies and have been counted, the Speaker announces the result of the vote.




Activities

1.

Copy and complete the passage by filling in the blanks using the phrases and words in the box underneath.

The House of Commons has a _____________ ____________, called a ______________________. This is where the

___________________________ who have been

_________________ all ______________. They go there to

_____________________ or ____________________________.

The ___________________ sits in the chair in the middle at the back of the chamber. The Speaker is the

__________________________________.

Word box debate Speaker

Members of Parliament big meeting room meet person in charge of the debate chamber chamber talk about issues elected



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2. The picture below shows the chamber of the House of Commons.

Label the picture.

3. Answer the questions below, in complete sentences.

(a) What do MPs shout out when they vote?

(b) What does it mean if you vote Aye?

(c) What does it mean if you vote No?

(d) ‘Sometimes it is hard to tell if more MPs shouted out Aye or

No’. When it is hard to tell if more MPs shouted out ‘Aye’ or

‘No’, where do they go to vote again?

(e) What is a Lobby?

(f) How many Lobbies are there?

(g) What are the Lobbies for?

(h) How are the votes counted?

(i) Who tells the MPs the result of the vote?




The Monarchy


 what the Monarchy is

 what four things the Monarchy does.

The role of the Queen

The Queen is the Monarch or the Head of State . This means that she is in charge of the country but she does not run the country.

In the UK we have what is called a constitutional monarchy. This means that as well as having a Monarch who is not elected by the people but who has instead inherited the position, we also have an elected government. It is the government that runs the country and it can limit the Monarch’s control.

The Queen does four things:

1. Dissolves Parliament

Before having a general election the Prime Minister must ask the monarch to dissolve or suspend Parliament.

2.

Appoints the Prime Minister

After a general election the monarch asks the leader of the winning party to become the Prime Minister and form the government.

3.

The Queen’s Speech

At the beginning of each session of Parliament the monarch makes a speech at the State Opening of Parliament . The speech is about all the things that the Government wants to do that year and is called the Queen’s Speech.

She does not write the speech. The

Government writes it.



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4.

Royal Assent

The monarch has the last say in whether a bill becomes a law. She signs all the new laws that Parliament passes. This is called giving

Royal Assent . Royal Assent means that she gives new laws her approval and a bill then becomes an Act of Parliament.

Factfile



The Queen is not allowed into the House of Commons. She has to open Parliament at the State Opening of Parliament in the House of

Lords.



She is brought to the House of Lords in a horse-drawn carriage and sits on a throne.



The Queen gives her speech from the throne. The speech is written for her by the government.

Activities

1. Answer the questions below about the Monarchy and what the

Queen does, in sentences.

(a) What special name is given to the Queen?

(b) What is she not allowed to do?

(c) What does she have to do at the State Opening of Parliament?

(d) Who wrote the speech?

(e) What does she have to do when Parliament passes a new law?

(f) What name do we give to the signing of the new law by the

Queen?

(g) What does Royal Assent mean?

(h) What two other things does the Monarch do?




Laws and Parliament


 what a bill is

 how new laws are made in parliament.

How new laws are made in Parliament

In Parliament either the government or any individual MP ca n think of a good idea for a new law. This is called a bill .

If the government thinks of a bill it is called a government sponsored bill .

If an individual MP thinks of a bill it is called a private member’s bill .

A bill has to be discussed or talked about in both the House of

Commons and the House of Lords before it can become a new law.

The House of Commons discusses the bill first. They have to talk about it to make sure it does not have any mistakes in it and to make sure that it is what the country needs.

When the House of Commons has discussed it, the bill gets taken to the

House of Lords so that they can also discuss it. The House of Lords might want to make some changes or amend it.

When the House of Lords have finished with it, the bill goes bac k to the

House of Commons again. They discuss it again especially if the House of Lords has amended or changed it. The MPs in the House of

Commons then vote on it.

If MPs vote ‘Aye’, that is they are in favour of the bill, it goes to the

Monarch who signs it. By signing the bill the Queen is giving it her approval and the bill then becomes an Act of Parliament. This is called the Royal Assent and is the last stage in the passage of a bill to become a new law.

A bill passes through three stages before it b ecomes a law.



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Stage 1: MPs in the House of Commons discuss the bill and vote for or against it.

Stage 2: Peers in the House of Lords discuss the bill and vote for or against it.

Stage 3: The Queen signs it to give it the Royal Assent .

Stage 1

House of Commons

Stage 2

House of Lords

Stage 3

Royal Assent

Example of a new law being made: Anti-Social Behaviour Orders

(ASBOs)

Lots of people in Britain became worried about people who they said were anti-social. These people vandalised streets, buildings and parks.

They wrote graffiti on walls. They terrorised shopkeepers. They had parties that went on too late and were too noisy.

Many people wrote to their Member of Parliament to get something done about these anti-social people.

The Members of Parliament spoke about the issue in Parliament and during debates. They also asked the Prime Minister a question about it during Prime Minister’s Question Time.

MPs thought up the idea of ASBOs (Anti-Social Behaviour Orders).

This idea was discussed with the Prime Minister and other MPs. They thought it was a good idea, so the idea was made into a bill .

The bill on ASBOs was discussed and debated in the House of

Commons with all the Members of Parliament. Some changes or amendments were made to it to make it better. A vote was then taken on it.

Then it was discussed and debated again, this time in the House of

Lords with all the Peers. Again some changes or amendments were made to it to make it better. A vote was then taken on it.




Then it was discussed again in the House of Commons and a vote was taken about whether ASBOs should become a law. The vote was ‘aye’ or yes, so ASBOs became a new law .

The law went to the Queen to be signed and given the Royal Assent .

People who do anti-social things can now be given an ASBO (Anti-

Social Behaviour Order) by a court. If a person b reaks their ASBO, they can be fined or sent to prison.

Activities

1. Complete the blank boxes in the Flow Chart below.

They show the three stages a bill passes through before it becomes a law.

The government or an MP thinks of a good idea for a new law called a bill

Stage 2

_________________________

_________________________

_________________________

_________________________

_________________________

Stage 1

_________________________

_________________________

_________________________

_________________________

_________________________

Stage 3

_________________________

_________________________

_________________________

_________________________

_________________________



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2. Make your own Flow chart below by completing the boxes and adding arrows to show the stages of making ASBOs.

Many people wrote to

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

The MPs

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

MPs thought up the idea of

_______________________________

_______________________________

They thought it was a good idea, so

_______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________

Stage 1 (in the House of Commons)

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

______________________________

Stage 2 (in the House of Lords)

_______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________

_______________________________

It was then discussed again

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

____________________________

Stage 3 (Royal Assent)

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________

________________________________




Opposition in Parliament


 what Her Majesty’s Opposition is

 what two jobs Her Majesty’s Opposition does.

Her Majesty’s Opposition

The political party who wins the General Election is called the

Government. The next biggest political party is called Her Majesty’s

Opposition .

The leader of this next biggest political party becomes the Leader of

Her Majesty’s Opposition; they are better known as the Leader of the

Opposition.

This person is seen as a ‘ Prime Minister in waiting

’. This is because they watch very carefully what the current Prime Minister does and says and then lets everyone know how they would do things differently.

They would also become the next Prime Minister if the current one and government lost the next election. They are waiting to be the next

Prime Minister.

Her Majesty’s Opposition are those MPs who would become the government if the current one lost the next election. They try to show people that they could do things better than the current government that they ‘ oppose

’. They do this by challenging and questioning the government on its policies and actions.

After the General Election in 2005, the Conservative Party became Her

Majesty’s Opposition.

The Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition chooses MPs from their own political party to join their own Cabinet. This is called the Shadow

Cabinet .

This Shadow Cabinet is seen as a ‘ government in waiting

’.



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This is because it watches very carefully what the Government

Ministers are doing in the Government Departments and then lets everyone know how it would do things differ ently. It would also become the real cabinet if the current government lost the next election.

It is waiting to be the next government. It also does this to make sure that the country is being run properly.

A member of the Shadow Cabinet ‘shadows’ the work of one of the members of the real cabinet.

Her Majesty’s Opposition has two main jobs to do:

1.

Watch what the Government is doing and say what it is doing wrong.

2. Think up its own new ideas about how to run the country if it gets elected to run the country at the next General Election.

Activities

1. Copy and complete the passage by filling in the blanks from the words in the box underneath.

The Political Party who wins the General Election is called the

Government. The _________ ________ Political Party is called

____________________.

The Leader of this next biggest political party becomes the Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition; they are better known as the Leader of the Opposition.

This person is seen as a ________________________________.

This is because they watch very carefully what the current Prime

Minister does and says and then lets everyone know how they would do things differently.




They would also become the next Prime Minister if the current

Prime Minister and government lost the next election. They are waiting to be the next Prime Minister.

Her Majesty’s Opposition are those MPs who would become the government if the current one lost the next election. It tries to show people that they could do things better than the current government that they _________________. They do this by challenging and questioning the government on its policies and actions.

After the General Election in 2005, the Conservative Party became

Her Majesty’s Opposition.

The Leader of Her Majesty’s Opposition chooses MPs from their own Political Party to join their own Cabinet. This is called the

________________________.

This Shadow Cabinet is seen as a

_____________________________________.

Word box government in waiting oppose next biggest

Prime Minister in waiting Her Majesty’s Opposition

Shadow Cabinet

2. Answer the question below in a complete sentence.

What two main jobs does Her Majesty’s Opposition have to do?



33


3. Study Sources 1 and 2 below, then answer the questions that follow.

Source 1

I am the leader of the Labour Party.

I was elected at the last General Election.

My Party received the most votes, so I am the Prime Minister.

My job is to run the country.

I choose MPs to be Ministers of the Government Departments to help me to run the country.

The most important Ministers make up the Cabinet.

Source 2

I am the Leader of the Conservative Party.

I was elected at the last General Election.

My party received the second biggest number of votes, so I am the Lead er of Her Majesty’s Opposition.

My job is to watch very carefully what the Prime Minister does and says.

I choose MPs to watch all the things that the Government Ministers do in their Departments.

These MPs make up the Shadow Cabinet.

(a) Write two things from Sources 1 and 2 that are similar about the Prime Minister and the Leader of Her Majesty’s

Opposition.

Your answer must be based entirely on the sources above.




(b) Write one thing from Sources 1 and 2 that is different about the jobs that the Prime Minister and the Leader of Her

Majesty’s Opposition do.


Source 1

Source 2

says that the job of …

says that the job of …



35


The House of Lords


 what two things the House of Lords does

 what a Peer is

 that there have been some changes to the House of Lords

 what a crossbencher is.

What is the House of Lords?

The House of Lords is Parliament’s second chamber. With the House of

Commons and the Monarchy, the House of Lords makes up Parliament.

What does the House of Lords do?

The House of Lords does two things. It:

 makes laws

 examines the work of the Government.

Making laws

One thing that the House of Lords does is to help make new laws.

It checks or looks over bills after the House of Commons and before they become new laws. This helps to ensures that they are fair and will work in practice.

The House of Lords cannot stop a bill becoming a new law if the House of Commons wants it. It can delay or hold up the process but it cannot stop it.

It can do this because all bills have to be debated in both Houses before they can become new laws.




Examining the work of the Government

Another thing that the House of Lords does is examine the work of the

Prime Minister and the Government.

The House of Lords spends a long time making sure that the

Government is doing its job properly.

The House of Lords has lots of experts in it. These could be experts in the law, in business or in education.

They make sure that the Government is doing its job properly. The

Government listens to them because they give good advice.

There are almost 700 people in the House of Lords. They have not been elected. In the House of Lords men are Lords and women are

Baronesses. All the people who have a title and go to the House of

Lords are called Peers .

What is a Peer?

A Peer is someone who has a seat in the House of Lords.

There are two types of Peer:



People who inherited a title from a relative who has died. They are called hereditary peers.



People who were appointed or given a title by the government (they cannot pass this title on to their children when they die). They are called life peers.



37


Reform of the House of Lords

The Government wants to change the House of Lords.

It wants to change it for two reasons:

1. It thinks that there are too many peers. There are 693 at the moment. It wants just 600.

2. It wants to get rid of all hereditary peers and replace them with peers who are either elected or appointed by the Government.

Other MPs also want to change the House of Lords.

Some want all the Members of the House of Lords to be elected. Others want all the Members of the House of Lords to be chosen or appointed by the Government.

The House of Lords has not completely changed yet because the

Government has not made up its mind yet about how to fully change it.

Recent Changes to the House of Lords

There have been some changes to the House of Lords.

Three recent changes are:

1.

Most, but not all, hereditary peers have been removed, or ‘put out’.

2.

More life peers have been appointed, or ‘let in’.

3.

‘People’s peers’ have been created.

People’s peers are a new idea. They are people who have been picked by the public to be peers. There are now 15 people ’s peers in the House of Lords.




Bob Geldof voted the ‘people’s peer’

People who listen to a radio programme voted for

Bob Geldof as the person they would most like to be made a ‘People’s peer’.

The former Boomtown Rats singer organised

Band Aid and Live Aid. He asked people to

‘give us your money’ to help victims of the famine in Ethiopia.

Adapted from BBC website http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4142549.stm

Activities

1. Answer the questions below in complete sentences .

(a) What two things does the House of Lords do?

(b) What does the House of Lords do with a bill after it has been to the House of Commons?

(c) Why do they want to check the bills?

(d) What job does the House of Lords spend a lot of time doing?

(e) Why does the Government listen to advice from people in the

House of Lords?

(f) What are people in the House of Lords called?

(g) What is an hereditary Peer?

(h) What is a life Peer?



39


2. Study Sources 1 and 2 below, then answer the question that follows.

Source 1

The Labour government has successfully reformed the House of

Lords.

It has reduced the number of hereditary peers from 762 to 92.

It has agreed to remove the remaining hereditary peers and has created new people’s peers.

Labour has made some progress and can be proud of the reforms it has made.

Source 2

The Labour government has not been successful in reforming the

House of Lords.

There are still 92 hereditary peers.

Labour MPs cannot agree on how to reform the House of Lords.

The Labour government has made no progress in reforming the

House of Lords.

Sources 1 and 2 give different views about reform of the House of

Lords.

Write down two differences between the views.





Difference 1

Source 1 says … but Source 2 says …

Difference 2



Source 1

Jo Swinson is the Member of Parliament for the constituency of

East Dunbartonshire.

She was elected by the ordinary people from East Dunbartonshire at the last General Election.

She works very hard and for many hours. She takes part in the discussions of bills in the House of Commons.

She works in her constituency at weekends, meeting and helping people.

She gets paid for being a Member of Parliament.



41


Source 2

Lord Sutch is a member of the House of Lords. He inherited the title ‘Lord’ when his father died.

He was able to get into the House of Lords because he has a title.

He was not elected by anyone.

He works very hard and for long hours. He takes part in the discussions of bills in the House of Lords.

He doesn’t get paid for working in the House of Lords.

Sources 1 and 2 give different views about the role of MPs and

Peers.



Difference 1


Difference 2





Parties and the Lords


 that the members of the House of Lords are not elected

 that some of them were once elected Members of Parliament and still have a lot to do with a political party.

Political parties in the House of Lords

The members of the House of Lords are not elected. But some of them were once elected Members of Parliament and stil l have a lot to do with a political party.

Just like MPs in the House of Commons, most of the Peers in the House of Lords also belong to a political party.

Those who do not belong to any political party are called crossbenchers .

Factfile

In 2007, the number of peers who were members of a party were:

Party

Labour

Conservative

Number of Peers

211

204

Liberal Democrats

Crossbenchers

77

208



43


Factfile

In the House of Lords there are rows of benches in the middle of the chamber.

These benches separate the government and opposition frontbenches and are known as the cross benches.

Members of the House of Lords who are not in any political party sit on these benches and are called crossbenchers .

Activities

1. Look at the table below. It shows t he number of peers in the House of Lords who were still part of political parties in April 2007.

Party

Labour

Life Peers Hereditary Peers Total

207 4 211

Conservative 156

Liberal Democrat 72

Crossbench 175

48

5

33

204

77

208

Source: www.parliament.uk

Answer the questions below.

(a) What political party do most Members of the House of Lords belong to?

(b) How many members of the House of Lords are there in each of the parties below?

Liberal Democrats ____________

Labour

Conservatives

Crossbenchers

____________

____________

____________




(c) Using the information in the table above draw a bar graph to show the number of peers in the House of Lords who were still part of political parties in April 2007.

(d) What does Crossbench mean?

Tick the box next to the correct answer.

(i) Does not belong to any political party

(ii) Does not like political parties

(e) What two reasons does the government have for wanting to change the House of Lords?

Reason 1

Reason 2

(f) What two different changes did some people in the government want?

Some people wanted …

Other people wanted …

(g) Why has the House of Lords not been changed yet?



45


Useful websites

You may find these websites useful: http://www.parliament.uk

Official site offering information on the House of Commons and the

House of Lords.

http://www.parliament.uk/commons/index.cfm

Good information on what’s on in the Commons with links to the House of Lords, finding out who your MP is and about parliament. http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_publications_and_archives/fac tsheets.cfm

House of Commons Information Office Factsheets provide brief informative descriptions of various facets of the House of Commons. http://www.parliament.uk/about/how.cfm

Good information on how parliament works including parliament ’s role and making laws. www.historylearningsite.co.uk/british_politics.htm

Very good political website with links to many useful topics. http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/laws.cfm

Good information on how new laws are made in parliament. http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page29.asp

A good guide to making new laws. http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews

Children’s BBC newsround site. http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/find_out/guides/uk/uk_parliament/ne wsid_1708000/1708803.stm

Children’s BBC newsround site. Good information on Parliament including the three Houses and two Chambers of the House of

Commons. http://www.upmystreet.com/commons/l/

Help to find out who your MP is.



THE UK PARLIAMENT http://www.parliament.uk/about/contacting.cfm

Information on contacting an MP. http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/members/mps_contact.cfm

Information on how and when to contact your MP. http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/members/electing_mps.cfm

Information on how MPs are elected. http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/members/mps.cfm

Information about what MPs do – MPs split their time between working inside Parliament and working in their constituency. http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page1.asp

10 Downing Street official website. The official website of the British

Prime Minister. Contains the latest news from the UK government. www.number-10.gov.uk/output/page1.asp


Prime Minister. Contains the latest news from the UK government. http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/principal/government_opposition.

cfm

Good information on the role of the Prime Minister and Her Majesty’s

Opposition. http://www.parliament.uk/about/visiting.cfm

Information on planning a visit to parliament. http://www.parliament.uk/about/images.cfm

Photographic images of the outside and inside of parliament. http://www.parliament.uk/about/images/panoramas.cfm

Panoramic images of both chambers of parliament, Big Ben and the central lobby. http://www.parliamentlive.tv

Live webcasts of proceedings from Parliament. http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/members/lords.cfm

Information on what Lords do with links to information on what MPs do.



47

THE UK PARLIAMENT http://www.parliament.uk/lords/index.cfm

Information on what is happening in the House of Lords each day. Also links to what the House of Lords does in Parliament and to the House of

Commons. http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/members/lords_types.cfm

Great information on the different types of Lords. http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/in_depth/uk_politics/2001/open_ politics/lords/default.stm

Information from the BBC on reforming the House of Lords.



THE SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT

Section 2: The Scottish Parliament

A Parliament for Scotland


 that there is a Scottish Parliament

 what is meant by the ‘Special Relationship’

 what devolved powers are

 what reserved powers are.

Scottish Parliament

As well as the UK Parliament that you have read about, we also have a

Scottish Parliament . This is in Edinburgh. In the Scottish Parliament a politician is called a Member of the Scottish Parliament, or MSP for short.

We are represented in the UK Parliament by MPs. We are represented in the Scottish Parliament by MSPs.

This Scottish Parliament was formed in 1999. Before 1999 all decisions made about Scotland were taken within the UK Parliament.

There is now a special relationship between the UK Parliament and the

Scottish Parliament.



49


What is meant by the special relationship?

The special relationship means that the UK Parliament now shares power with the Scottish Parliament.

Sharing of Power

All the power is now shared. It is divided up into two types of power:

1. Devolved power

2. Reserved power

Devolved Power

This shared power means that the Scottish Parliament now has what are called devolved powers .

Having devolved powers means that the Scottish Parliament has been given some powers to make decisions about some matters in Scotland on its own.

This gives Scotland more control over what happens in Scotland without the approval of the UK Parliament.

It also allows Scotland to stay part of the UK.

This is different from Independence. Independence would mean that

Scotland was a separate country and not part of the UK.

Reserved Power

The Scottish Parliament has some powers but not all powers. Some powers are kept by the UK Parliament.

These powers are known as reserved powers .

Having reserved powers means that the UK Parliament has kept some powers to make decisions about certain matters in Scotland.





The Scottish Parliament is responsible for all devolved matters. It ca n make decisions about and pass laws on all devolved matters. It cannot make decisions about and pass laws on reserved matters.

UK Parliament

The UK Parliament is responsible for all reserved matters. It can make decisions about and pass laws on all reserved matters. It can still make decisions about and pass laws on devolved matters but would not normally do this.

The Scottish Parliament also has some power to increase or reduce tax in Scotland.

Below is a list of devolved and reserved matters.

Devolved Matters

(Scottish Parliament)

Education and training

Reserved Matters

(UK Parliament)

Defence

Health

Local government

Housing

Environment

Foreign Policy

Security

Employment

Economic Policy

Since 1999 the Scottish Parliament has used its dev olved powers to make many decisions about life in Scotland and pass some new laws.

For example, in 2006 the Scottish Parliament used its devolved powers to pass a new law that bans smoking in public places. The UK

Parliament did not pass this law in England until 2007.

In 2002 the Scottish Parliament used its devolved powers to pass a new law that provides free personal care for the elderly. Scotland is the only country in the UK that has this law.



51


Working together

The Scottish Parliament and the UK Parliament work together in partnership. They have many joint policies . This means that they work together on issues.

Below is an article adapted from the Daily Record . It shows how the

UK Parliament and the Scottish Parliament have a special relationship and work together.

Prime Minister’s vow to beat drugs

The Prime Minister has promised new measures to tackle drug barons.

This involves a ‘ partnership’ between the UK Parliament and the


The PM introduced a joint policy saying that together Labour would get ‘tough’ with major drug gangs.

He said ‘we will be laying out partnership agreements . One thing we are looking to do is to work together with the Scottish Parliament to make life really difficult for the drug barons. ’

Other joint policies will include welfare and child poverty.




Activities

1. What is meant by the Special Relationship between the UK

Parliament and the Scottish Parliament?

2. What name do we give to the powers that the Scottish Parliament has?

3. What name do we give to the powers that the UK Parliament has kept?

4. Copy and complete the table by filling in the blanks using the words in the box below.

Devolved Matters Reserved Matters

(Scottish Parliament)

Education and training

(UK Parliament)

Housing

Security

Economic Policy

Word box

Local government

Foreign Policy

Defence

Environment

Health

Employment



53



Source 1

UK Parliament

The UK Parliament is responsible for all reserved matters.

It can make decisions about and pass laws on all reserved matters.

It can still make decisions about and pass laws on devolved matters but would not normally do this.

Source 2


The Scottish Parliament is responsible for all devolved matters.

It can make decisions about and pass laws on all devolved matters.

It cannot make decisions about and pass laws on reserved matters.

Sources 1 and 2 give different information about the UK

Parliament and the Scottish Parliament.

Write down two differences between the UK Parliament and the



Difference 1





Difference 2


6. Complete the passage by filling in the blanks using the words in the box underneath.

The Scottish Parliament and the _____ __________________ work together in ________________.

They have many _____________ _____________. This means that they ___________ ___________ on issues.

Word box work together partnership joint policies UK Parliament

7. Study the information in the newspaper article below, then answer the questions that follow.

Prime Minister’s vow to beat drugs

The Prime Minister has promised new measures to tackle drug barons. This involves a ‘ partnership ’ between the UK Parliament and the Scottish Parliament.

The PM introduced a joint policy saying that together Labour would get ‘tough’ with major drug gangs.

He said ‘we will be laying out partnership agreements . One thing we are looking to do is to work together with the Scottish

Parliament to make life really difficult for the drug barons. ’

Other joint policies will include welfare and child poverty.



55


The Scottish Parliament and the UK Parliament work together in partnership.

View of Stephen Bloom

(a) Give one reason to support the view of Stephen Bloom. Your answer must be based only on the information above.

One reason to support the view of Stephen Bloom is …

(b) What two other joint policies are to be introduced?

Useful websites

You may find these websites useful: http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/scotland_and_devolution.htm

Good site for information on the Scottish Parliament and devolution. http://www.scottish.parliament.uk

The official website of the Scottish parliament. http://www.scotland.gov.uk

The official website of the Scottish Government the devolved government of Scotland. http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/vli/holyrood/index.htm

The official illustrated guide to Holyrood, the Scottish Parliament building designed by Enric Miralles.



THE GOVERNMENT AND EXECUTIVE

Section 3: The Government and Executive

Role and powers of the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and the Civil Service


 what the three roles of the Prime Minister are

 what powers the Prime Minister has

 what the Civil Service does

 what the Cabinet is

 what a Cabinet re-shuffle is.

The Government and Executive

After a General Election all the MPs are counted to see how many belong to each party. The Leader of the party with the most MPs usually becomes the Prime Minister.

After the 2005 General Election, the Labour Party was the biggest party. The Leader of the Labour Party, Tony Blair, was invited by the

Queen to become Prime Minister and form a government. In June

2007, Tony Blair stepped down as Prime Minister. The Labour Party elected Gordon Brown as its new leader and the new Prime Minister.

The Prime Minister normally lives in 10 Downing Street.



57


Role and powers of the Prime Minister

The Prime Minister is known as the PM for short.

The PM has three roles :

1. run the country

2. lead the Government

3. be in charge of all government ministers and MPs.

This gives the PM a lot of power.

The PM has the power to:

1. Choose the Cabinet

The PM picks those who are to be in the Cabinet to help him to run the country.

2. Choose the date of the General Election

The PM is the only person who can choose when there is to be a general election.

3. Meet Foreign Leaders

The PM meets with foreign and world leaders as the representative of the UK.

The Prime Minister chooses about 100 of the very best people in

Parliament to help him to run the country. They join a special group called the Government . The Government is also called the Executive.

This is because as well as running the country they also carry out or execute the laws of the country.

Most of this group comes from the House of Commons but a few come from the House of Lords.

The Government manages the running of the country. The people in t he

Executive are divided into smaller groups to be in charge of

Government Departments .




The leaders of these Departments are called Ministers . They are also called Secretary of State.

The table below gives some examples of government departments and their Minister or Secretary of State.

Minister in Charge

Secretary of State for Health

Government Department

Health

Secretary of State for Education Education

Secretary of State for Defence Defence

Home Secretary Home Office

The Minister in overall charge is the Prime Minister.

Ministers have to tell everyone in Parliament what they are doing. They do this by answering questions that MPs ask them.

Factfile

Some of the biggest Government Departments are:

The Home Office : it deals with terrorism, security and immigration.

The Exchequer : it deals with all the money that comes from taxes.

The Defence Department : it deals with the Army, Navy and Air Force.

The Foreign Office : it deals with how this country gets on with other countries.

The Education Department : it deals with schools and colleges.

The Health Department : it deals with hospitals.

Each Government Department has people from the Civil Service to work in the Department. People who work in the Civil Service are called Civil servants .



59


What does the Civil Service do?

The Civil Service does three things:

1.

administration work

2.

provides advice and information

3.

research work.

The Cabinet

The leaders or Ministers of the biggest Departments come together to form the Cabinet . These Ministers are given titles such as ‘Secretary of

State’ and one is called the ‘Chancellor of the Exchequer’. They are all chosen by the Prime Minister.

There are about 20 people in the Cabinet. They meet in a special room called the Cabinet Room in 10 Downing Street. They meet every week and make decisions about government policies or what the government should do. All Cabinet meetings are private and Cabinet members are not allowed to talk about what is said.

Sometimes the PM changes who is in the Cabinet. This is calle d a

Cabinet re-shuffle .

Below is a picture of Tony Blair’s New Labour Cabinet of 1997. In

1997 there were 24 members. Before Tony Blair stepped down as Prime

Minister in June 2007, there were only seven remaining (Blair, Brown,

Prescott, Beckett, Straw, Harman and Darling).




The Cabinet has changed again now that Gordon Brown has become

Prime Minister.

Activities

Choose the correct answer to the questions below and then write all your answer in complete sentences in a paragraph . Use the heading

‘The Government and the Executive’.

1.

What name do we give to the leader of the party with the most

MPs after a General Election?

(a) The Great Leader

(b) The Biggest Minister

(c) The Prime Minister

2.

Who is the Prime Minister at the moment?

(a) The Queen

(b) Tony Blair

(c) Gordon Brown

3.

Which political party does he belong to?

(a) The Labour Party

(b) The Conservative Party

(c) The Liberal Democratic Party



61


4.

Which of the following list is a role of the PM? Choose two.

(a) write a book

(b) lead the government

(c) clean the House of Commons

(d) run the country

5.

What is the name of the special group of members of Parliament that the Prime Minister chooses?

(a) The Important People

(b) The Government

(c) The Members

6.

What other name does this group sometimes get called?

(a) The Executive

(b) The Specials

(c) The Good Guys

7.

From which House do most of the Executive come?

(a) House of Lords

(b) House of Commons

(c) White House

8.

What is the main job of the Government?

(a) to have a good time because they get more money

(b) to make sure that other Members of Parliament work properly

(c) to manage the running of the country




9.

The people in the Executive are divided into smaller groups. What are the smaller groups in charge of?

(a) The House of Commons

(b) Government Departments

(c) Constituencies

10.

Which of the following are Government Departments? Choose four.

(a) The Home Office

(b) The Exchequer

(c) The Holiday Office

(d) The Main Office

(e) The Foreign Office

(f) The Education Department

11.

What is the Leader of a Government Department called?

(a) A Governor

(b) A Chancellor

(c) A Minister

12.

Who is the Minister in overall charge?

(a) Home Secretary

(b) Chancellor of the Exchequer

(c) Prime Minister

13.

Which group of people does a lot of the work in Government departments?

(a) The Civil Service

(b) The Emergency Service

(c) The Writing Service

14.

What kind of work do these people do? Choose three.

(a) give advice

(b) make the tea

(c) do the administration work



63


(d) drive the cars

(e) do research work

(f) run the canteen

16. Read The Cabinet on page 60. Copy the information you read about The Cabinet below.




Places in Parliament


 what a frontbencher is

 what a backbencher is.

Frontbenchers and backbenchers

The picture below shows the MPs in the House of Commons. The

Leader of the Opposition is standing at the table. The Prime Minister is just getting up to speak.

Speaker

Backbenchers

Leader of the

Opposition

Prime Minister

Frontbenchers

The MPs on the seats, called benches , in the front row of the chamber of the House of Commons are the Government Ministers. They are the leaders of the Government Departments. The Prime Minister also sits here.



65


They sit on the front benches and are called frontbenchers . They have to answer questions about their Departments. For example, the

Chancellor of the Exchequer, who usually sits beside the Prime

Minister, has to answer questions about taxes.

Backbenchers

The MPs who sit on the seats behind the Prime Minister are called

Backbenchers . They are not in charge of the departments. Their main job is to represent the people in their Constituencies.

Activities

1. Label the picture below.




2. Answer the questions below, true (T) or false (F).

(a) The Prime Minister sits on the right of the Speaker. _____

(b) The seats in the House of Commons are called stools. _____

(c) The Government Ministers sit on the back benches. _____

(d) The Government Ministers sit on the front benches. _____

(e) The Government Ministers sit behind the Prime

Minister. _____

(f) Backbenchers are MPs who are not in charge of

Departments. _____

(g) Backbenchers don’t have any real jobs to do. _____

(h) Backbenchers help the people in their constituencies. _____

(i) Ministers answer questions about their departments. _____



67


Parliamentary whips




 what whips are what whips do.

Whips

Each party in Parliament has a team of MPs who act as whips . Whips are a bit like school prefects.

They:

 tell MPs what is happening in Parliament

 make sure that MPs turn up to vote on time

 make sure that MPs obey their Party’s rules

 make sure that MPs vote the way that their Party wants them to.

Factfile

The word whip is thought to come from a term used in fox huntin g.

This is

‘whippers in’

. This is the term given to the riders at the back of the pack of hounds chasing the fox. They crack their whips in order to keep any straying dogs in line.

They whip them into line.

The Prime Minister wants to keep all his MPs i n line. He wants them to do what he tells them to and to vote the way that he wants them to. This is called following the party line.

Sometimes some MPs do not follow the party line because they do not agree with it. They also do not want to vote in the way the Prime

Minister wants them to vote because they think it will not be good for the people in their constituency.




What whips do

If MPs really do not want to vote in the way that the Prime Minister wants, they can abstain . This means that they do not vote at all.

They can also vote against their party and the Prime Minister.

Those who do this are called rebels . This is because they rebel against their own party. They are not following the party line.

If they do this they can be disciplined by the wh ips. This means that they are whipped back into line.



The whips may not tell them what is happening in the House of

Commons.



They can get deselected . This means that the next time there is a

General Election they will not be allowed to stand for their pol itical party.

An example of when lots of MPs voted against the Government was over the war in Iraq in 2003.

Activity

1. Answer true (T) or false (F) to the following questions.

(a) All MPs always vote the way that their party want them to.

(b) Sometimes MPs don’t want to vote the way that the party wants.

(c) The Prime Minister has special MPs called Spears.

(d) The Prime Minister has special MPs called Whips.

(e) Whips have to make sure that all MPs get their breakfast.

___

___

___

___

___

(f) Whips have to make sure that all MPs turn up to vote. ___



69


(g) Whips make sure that the MPs vote the way the party wants. ___

(h) If Backbenchers do not want to vote the way that the

Prime Minister wants them to they can abstain and not vote at all. ___

(i) MPs who do not vote the way that they government wants are called rebels. ___

(j) Sometimes Backbenchers don’t vote the way that the

Government wants. ___

(k) Backbenchers cannot be punished for not voting the way that the Government wants. ___

(l) Backbenchers can be deselected for not voting the way the government wants.

(m) Deselected means not allowed to stand for the political party in a General Election.

Useful websites

You may find these websites useful.

___

___ http://www.parliament.uk/parliamentary_publications_and_archives/fac tsheets.cfm

House of Commons Information Office Factsheets provide brief informative descriptions of various facets of the House of Commons. http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews

Children’s BBC newsround site. http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page1.asp


Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Contains the latest news from the UK

Government.



THE GOVERNMENT AND EXECUTIVE www.number-10.gov.uk/output/page1.asp


Prime Minister Gordon Brown. Contains the latest news from the UK

Government. http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/business/questions.cfm

Information on Prime Minister’s Question Time and link to watch live and archived footage of Prime Minister’s Question Time.

http://www.pm.gov.uk/output/Page19.asp


Prime Minister. Information on the Cabinet.

http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/principal/whips.cfm

Information on Whips and what they do in the House of Commons. http://www.parliament.uk/glossary/glossary.cfm?ref=shadowc_2303

Information about the Shadow Cabinet with a glossary explaining

Parliamentary terms. http://www.parliament.uk/about/images.cfm

Photographic images of the outside and inside of parliament. http://www.parliament.uk/about/images/panoramas.cfm

Panoramic images of both chambers of parliament, Big Ben and the central lobby. www.parliamentlive.tv/

Live webcasts of proceedings in Parliament.



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Section 4: An Election

Voting


 how people vote

 who can vote

 who cannot vote

 what a ballot paper is

 what a manifesto is

 what a constituency is

 that ‘First Past the Post’ is the name of the voting system used to elect MPs

 why some people do not vote.

General Election

At least every five years in Britain there is a General Election . To elect means to choose.

In a General Election, people over 18 can vote . By voting they are given the opportunity to have a say in who will run the country. They can choose who they want.



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How do people vote?

There are two ways that people can vote.

1. By going to a polling station , and filling in a voting form.

2. By getting a voting form through the post, filling it in and sending it by post. This is called a Postal Vote .

Factfile



Most people choose to vote in person at their local polling station.



If you can’t get to your polling station you can apply to vote by post.



This means you don’t have to go to your polling place to vote.



Anyone can apply to vote by post.



If you have difficulties getting to the polling station, you can apply to vote by post.

Activities

1. Copy and complete the passage by filling in the blanks using the phrases and words in the box underneath.

Voting

At least every _____ years in the UK there is a _____________

________________. To elect means to _______________. In a

General Election, __________________________can ________.

By voting they are ___________________________________ ___.

Word box choose General Election people over 18 vote given the opportunity to have a say in who will run the country five



73

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2. Look at the pictures below and then answer the question that follows.

Describe two ways in which people can vote in a general election.

3. Answer in sentences.

(a) Where do most people go to vote?

(b) What is a Postal Vote?

(c) If you were old enough, would you prefer to go to a school hall to vote or would you prefer a Postal Vote?


Who can vote?

You can vote if you:

 are 18 or older

 are a British citizen

 have your name on the Electoral Register (the big list of all the people who stay in the country and are old enough to vote).

You can’t vote if you:

 are under 18 years old

 are a foreigner

 have not put your name on to the Electoral Register

 are mentally ill in hospital.



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What does a voting form look like?

Name of Candidate

X marks the spot

Name of political Party

Party Logo

The names of the people or candidates you can vote for are on the voting form. The voting form is called a Ballot Paper . You vote for just one person. You vote by drawing an X in the square beside the name of the person you want to vote for.

The winner is the candidate who gets more votes than any other candidate and they become the MP.

This system of voting is called ‘ first past the post

’.

Each ballot paper has:

 the names of all the candidates in alphabetical order

 the name of the political party beside each name

 a picture of the party’s logo

 space to vote.

Who are the people on the ballot paper?

The people whose names are on the ballot paper are usually members of a political party . A political party is a large group of people who all think the same about how to run the country.



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There are lots of political parties. The political parties with the largest support are:



The Labour Party



The Conservative Party



The Liberal Democratic party



The Scottish National Party (in Scotland)



Plaid Cymru (in Wales).

Each political party has a manifesto .

A manifesto is a list of all the things they are going to do, and all the laws they want to pass, if they are elected to run the country.

Many people join a political party because they agree with that party ’s manifesto. They also want to help them win the election.

People who join a political party have to pay a membership fee . They are allowed to attend party meetings and to help choose the person who will stand in the election as the party’s candidate.

You can find out about a political party by writing to them or visiting their website. You can join a political party through their website.

The members of political parties help the candidates to get elected.

They organise meetings in the constituencies so that the people there can speak to the candidate. They put up banners, hand out leaflets and go to houses to persuade people to vote for their candidate.

The candidate who gets the most votes in the constituency is elected to represent all the people in his or her constituency in parliament. He or she is now called a Member of Parliament .

Constituencies

The whole of Britain has been divided up into areas called constituencies . A constituency is an area in the UK that is represented by an MP. Each constituency sends one MP to the House of Commons.



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There are currently 646 constituencies: 529 in England, 59 in Scotland,

40 in Wales and 18 in Northern Ireland.



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Electoral System

The electoral system used to elect MPs to the House of Commons is known as the ‘ first past the post

’ system.

Another name for this voting system is the Simple Majority system.

This is because it is simple and easy to use.

The candidate who gets the most votes in the constituency wins the constituency election. They can then take up a seat in the House of

Commons as the MP to represent the people in the constituency. They represent everyone in the constituency, even those who did not vote for them.

Since there are 646 constituencies there are 646 constituency elections and 646 MPs. The party with most MPs in the UK wins the general election and becomes the Government.

Is voting compulsory?

You don’t have to vote, but most people want to because they want to have a say in who runs the country. They also have a right to vote in an election.

Factfile



When you vote you are helping to choose who will make decisions on the things that affect you every day.



Democracy relies on people using their vote.



People all over the world have fought for the right to vote.



In the UK women only won the right to vote in 1928.



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Factors affecting voter turnout

When there is a general election in the UK many people who can vote do not bother to vote. This is called voter apathy .

Why do some people not vote?

Some people do not vote for many reasons. Five reasons why some people do not vote are:

1.

They are too busy.

2.

They are too lazy.

3.

They do not think that their vote will make any difference.

4.

They do not care who wins.

5.

They do not trust politicians.

The difference between the number of people who can vote and those who actually do vote is called voter turnout .

For example, if 70,000 people are eligible to vote in a constituency but

35,000 actually voted, this means that only half of those who could have voted did actually vote. This is half or 50%. Therefore, the voter turnout is 50%.

Factfile

Voter turnout in last three general elections.

Year

1997

Turnout

71.4%

2001

2005

59.4%

61.3%

Not everyone who can vote does vote.

For example, in 2001 only 59.4% of those who could have voted did vote.

This means that 40.6% of those who could have voted did not vote.



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Below are some people’s comments on low voter turnout in the UK.

Many men and especially women died so that every adult in this country got the right to vote. It is sad that now so many cho ose not to do so. If you don’t like what’s happening then vote to change it. Not voting ensures that policies will not change and you will definitely not be happy with the result.

Sheila

How can people say their vote doesn’t count? Do the maths! With turnouts as low as 50%, if the other 50% who don ’t bother did turn out, you might well get a completely different res ult. Use your vote or don’t moan at the results!

Caroline

Who cares?

Roger

Source: adapted from the BBC website http://www.bbc.co.uk

‘I’ve been working all day. Now I’m home

I’m too busy to go and vote.’

‘I’m watching the TV. It’s not that I’m lazy it’s just that my favourite TV programme is on. So I’m not going out to vote.’

‘Why should I vote?

What difference will my vote make?’

‘I can’t be bothered voting. I don’t care who wins anyway.’



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Activities

1. Study the information below, then answer th e question that follows.

Factfile on voters in the UK

A . James has just turned 19. He comes from Wales. He has a job in the Post Office. His mum put his name on the Electoral

Register last year.

B . Roberto is 18 and a half. He was born in London but h is parents came from Spain. His name was not put on the

Electoral Register because the family moved house. He is a student.

C . Lucy was born in Manchester. She will be 18 two weeks before the date of the next General Election. All her family’s names are on the Electoral Register. She is still at school.

D . Simon is 24 and is a British citizen. He has not registered to vote and so his name is not on the electoral register.

Not everyone in the UK can vote.

View of Thomas Lawrence

Using only the information in the factfile above decide which two people can vote and which two people cannot vote .

Which two can vote ? Write a letter in each box.



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Which two cannot vote ? Write a letter in each box.

For the two people who cannot vote explain wh y not.

2. Read What does a voting form look like?

Copy and complete the passage by filling in the blanks using the phrases and words in the box below.

The ____________ of the people or _________________ you can vote for are on the voting form. The voting form is called a

__________________. You can vote for just __________. You vote by ________________________ in the square beside the

________________________________ you want to vote for. The winner is the candidate who __________________than any othe r candidate and they become the MP. This system of voting is called

________________________.

Word box candidates one name of the person drawing an X names gets more votes first past the post ballot paper



AN ELECTION

3. Are the statements below true (T) or fals e (F)?

Each ballot paper has:

A. A picture of each candidate.

B. The names of all the candidates.

_____

_____

C. A picture of the party’s logo.

D. Space to put your name and address.

_____

_____

E. Space to vote. _____

4. Study the bar chart below, then answer the question that follows.

80

70

60

50

40

30

20

10

0

1997 2001 2005

Voter last 3 the last three

A The largest turnout in the last three elections was in 1997.

B More people voted in 2001 than in 2005.

C More people did not vote in 2001 than in 2005.

D Voter turnout has decreased every year since 1997.



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Using only the information in the bar chart above, decide which two statements are true and which two are false .

Which two are true ? Write a letter in each box.

Which two are false ? Write a letter in each box.

5. Most people want to vote. They have the right to vote. But some people don’t vote, even though they can.

Think of two reasons why people might not want to vote.

6. Study Sources 1 and 2 below then answer the question that follows.

Source 1

Survey of 100 people in Aberdeen after the 2005 general election to the UK Parliament.

Did you vote in the 2005 general election?

Answer

Yes

No

60

40



AN ELECTION

Source 2

Survey of 100 people in Aberdeen after the 2005 general election to the UK Parliament.

If you did not vote, what was your main reason for not voting?

Answer too busy too lazy

4

1

10 Didn’t think that their vote would make any difference

Don’t care who wins

Don’t trust politicians

17

8

The vast majority of people in Aberdeen did not vote at the 2005 general election to the UK Parliament. Most did not vote because they just don’t care who wins.

View of Barry Higham

Give one reason to support the view of Barry Higham and one reason to oppose the view of Barry Higham.

Your answer must be based only on the information above.



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7. Draw a ballot paper below. Make up the names of the people on the ballot paper. Remember to draw the logos.



AN ELECTION

8 . Answer the questions below in sentences.

(a) The people whose names are on the ballot paper are a member of what kind of organisation?

(b) What is a political party?

(c) Name any three political parties.

(d) What is the name that they give to the list of things that they want to do if their party is elected to run the country?

(e) What is a constituency?

(f) How many constituencies are there in the UK?

(g) Fill in the number of constituencies that each country in the

UK has.

England

Scotland

Wales

Northern Ireland

_________

_________

_________

_________

(h) What is the name of the electoral system used to elect MPs to the House of Commons?

(i) What is another name for this electoral system?

(j) Why is it called this?

(k) Which candidate wins the constituency election?

(l) What is the winning candidate called after winning the election?

(m) Which party wins the general election?

(n) What does the winning party become?



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(o) Do you have to vote?

(p) Why do most people want to vote?

(q) What do we call it when many people do not bother to vote?

(r) What do we call the difference between the number of people who can vote and those who actually do v ote?

9. Answer the questions below. You do not have to write in a sentence.

(a) Who are the people whose names are on a ballot paper?

(b) What two things are on a ballot paper that tell you to which political party the candidate belongs?

(c) Name any three things that political parties do to help their candidate to get elected.

(d) How does a candidate know that he or she has won the election in the constituency?

(e) Does the candidate who wins have to represent all the people in the constituency or just the people who voted for them?

(f) What do we call the candidate after he/she has won?



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10. Write a short letter to your member of Pa rliament congratulating them on winning the election in your Constituency.

____________________

____________________

____________________

Date

Dear _________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

______________________________________________________

Yours faithfully



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11. Study the information in Sources 1 and 2 below then answer the question that follows.

Source 1

Votes cast and seats won in the 2005 general election for the UK

Parliament

Party

Labour

Votes

9.55 million

Seats

356

Conservative

Liberal Democrat

Others

8.77 million

5.98 million

2.82 million

197

62

30

Source 2

A. Labour won most votes in the 2005 election to the UK

Parliament.

B. The Liberal Democrats had the most seats in Parliament after the 2005 election.

C. More people voted for Labour than against them.

D. Labour had the most seats in Parliament after the 2005 election.



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Using only the information in Sources 1 and 2 above, decide which two statements are true and which two are false .





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Useful websites

You may find these websites useful: http://www.news.bbc.co.uk/1/shared/vote2005/voters_guide/html/default.stm

A guide explaining how to vote in a general election with links to the following: registration, voting, what happens on the day, the count and the result. http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk

Facts about your vote – what elections are happening in your area, how to register and how to apply for a postal vote. http://www.electoralcommission.org.uk

Official website of the Electoral Commission that regulates elections in the UK and promotes voter awareness. http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/first_past_the_post.htm

Information on ‘first past the post’. http://www.psr.keele.ac.uk/election.htm

Information on UK elections and system of voting. http://www.upmystreet.com/commons/l/

Help to find out who your MP is. http://www.parliament.uk/about/contacting.cfm

Information on contacting an MP. http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/members/mps_contact.cfm

Information on how and when to contact your MP.



ELECTING AN MP

Section 5: Electing an MP

Election Campaigns


 what an election campaign is

 what members of a political party can do to help during an election campaign.

Electing an MP

There are about 70,000 people living in each constituency who can vote. They must register to vote there.

The people in each constituency have to elect one of the people on the ballot paper to go to Parliament in London to represent them. When you represent someone it means that you help them with their problems and speak out for them.

The members of each political party choose the person they think is best, called a candidate , to represent their party and to be on the ballot paper so that people can vote for that person. They are called the candidate. You don’t need any particular qualifications to stand as a candidate.

Jo Swinson’s election campaign

Jo Swinson is a member of the Liberal Democrat Party. She wanted to be an MP. But first she had to be selected by her party to be its candidate.



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ELECTING AN MP

The party members chose Jo Swinson to be the Liberal Democrat candidate in the 2005 General Election for the constituency of East

Dunbartonshire.

Jo Swinson chosen to fight for East Dunbartonshire

East Dunbartonshire Liberal Democrats have selected

Jo Swinson as the candidate for the Westminster constituency of East Dunbartonshire.

Jo said ‘there is a fantastic team of Liberal Democrat

Councillors and party members in East Dunbartonshire, working hard for local people in the community and on the Council. Our next challenge is to elect a Lib

Dem MP to work hard for local people inside Parliament at

Westminster.’

Adapted from http://www.joswinson.org.uk

There were five other candidates from other parties who also wanted to win the election. They were also chosen by their party members to be a candidate.

Jo had the support of her party, but to win the election she also needed the support of the people who lived in the constituency. This is because they are the people who would be voting.

To do this she organised an election campaign. Every Liberal Democrat party member helped her. They did many things to help her. For example they:

 organised public meetings

 put up posters and banners

 handed out leaflets

 went to people’s houses.

Party members organised public meetings – this helped Jo to meet local people and explain to them what she would do for them if they voted for her.



ELECTING AN MP

Party members put up posters and banners – this helped to show local people who Jo Swinson was and what she looked like. It also showed what party she is a member of and what she would do for the public if they voted for her.

Party members handed out leaflets – This helped to make local people familiar with Jo Swinson and gave them some information about her and her party that they could read later.

Party members went to people’s houses to persuade them to vote for Jo

– this encouraged many local people to vote for Jo.

Elected! Jo Swinson is the new MP for East Dunbartonshire

Jo Swinson has been declared the new MP for East Dunbartonshire. She got more votes than any of the other candidates. She won with a majority of 4,061 votes over Labour.

The votes cast were as follows:

Name/Party

Jo Swinson – Lib Dem

Number of votes

19,533

Labour

Conservative

SNP

Green

SSP

15,472

7,708

2,716

876

419

Speaking after the result, new MP Jo Swinson said, ‘I am delighted and honoured to have been chosen as the MP to represent East

Dunbartonshire. I’m determined to be a good MP for our area.’

I’ve won! Jo Swinson celebrates becoming the new MP for East Dunbartonshire

Adapted from Jo Swinson’s website http://www.joswinson.org.uk



95

ELECTING AN MP

The election campaign of Jo Swinson was very successful. Jo Swinson got more votes from the people in the constituency than any of the other candidates.

She therefore won the election and became the MP. She now represents everyone in her constituency even those people who did not vote for her.

Role of an MP


 what the role of an MP is

 how an MP represents his/her constituents inside the House of

Commons

 that MPs work long hours.

What an MP does

Most MPs in the House of Commons are backbenchers. They have three main roles or jobs.

1.

They can examine or look closely at the work of the government.

2.

They can help to make new laws .

3.

They can represent or work on behalf of their constituents.

Each MP has the responsibility to represent every one of his or her constituents. They must represent all the constituents even those who did not vote for them. This means that they must help them with their problems and speak out for them.

They can do this in two places.



Inside Parliament – in the House of Commons



Outside Parliament – in their constituency



ELECTING AN MP

Inside Parliament

MPs represent or work on behalf of their constituents inside the House of Commons in many ways. They can raise matters of concern for them with other MPs and even the Prime Minister.

Two ways are by taking part in:

 debates



Question Time.

Debates

In the House of Commons a lot of MPs get together and discuss many issues that are of concern to us. This is called a debate .

An MP can take part in a debate by speaking out and putting forward the views of the people who live in their constituency. By doi ng this the

MP is representing constituents inside Parliament.

Question Time

In the House of Commons an MP can ask government ministers to answer questions about the problems that the people who live in their constituency have. They can do this at Question Time .

During Question Time an MP can ask a government minister to answer a question about the problems that the people who live in his/her constituency have.

By asking a government minister a question the MP is representing his/her constituents inside Parliament.

Mps can also ask the PM questions. They can do this at Prime

Minister’s Question Time .

During Prime Minister’s Question Time an MP can ask the PM to answer a question about the problems that the people who live in his/her constituency have.

By asking the Prime Minister a question the MP is representing his/her constituents inside Parliament.



97

ELECTING AN MP

Working hours of an MP

When MPs are working in the House of Commons we say that the

House of Commons is sitting .

This is because when the MPs are there, they are sit ting down to work.

It is a bit like when you go to class and when the lesson begins you are sitting at your desk ready to work.

The House of Commons sits at the following times:

Sitting Times of the House of Commons

Monday & Tuesday 2.30pm to 10.30pm

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

11.30am to 7.30pm

10.30am to 6.30pm

9.30am to 3pm

Factfile

There are ten Fridays when the House of Commons does not sit. This gives MPs a long weekend – perhaps to spend more time in their constituencies.

Sometimes the House of Commons sits at the weekend.

Some people think that the times when the House of Commons sits are too long. They think that the working hours of MPs are too long and that this puts some people off from becoming an MP.

For some people it can be difficult to mix working as an MP and caring for a family. The working hours of MPs are not considered to be

‘family friendly’. Many women who might like to become an MP cannot because they have young children and families to care for.



ELECTING AN MP

Women MPs in the UK Parliament

Very few women are MPs. Most MPs are men.

52% of the UK population are women.

18% of MPs are women.

48% of the UK population are men.

82% of MPs are men.

Women MSPs in the Scottish Parliament

There are more women MSPs than women MPs

52% of the Scottish population are women

33% of MSPs are women

48% of the Scottish population are men

67% of MSPs are men.

Source: www.gro-scotland.gov.uk

The Scottish Parliament has more normal or family friendly working hours for MSPs. It sits or works from 9am to 5pm.



99

ELECTING AN MP

Activities


Electing an MP

The people in each _______________________ have to elect

_____ of the people on the ballot paper to go to

__________________ in ____________ to

_____________________ them. When you ____________ someone it means that you _______ them with their

____________________ and __________ _______ for them.

Word box represent

London

Parliament constituency one help problems speak out represent

2. Which party is Jo Swinson a member of?

3. Who selected Jo Swinson to be the Liberal Democrat candidate in the 2005 General Election?

4. How many other candidates stood against Jo?

5. Who chose these other candidates?

6. Who did Jo need the support of to win the election?

7. What did Jo organise?

8. Who helped Jo?

9. List four things they did to help her?

10. For your answer to question 8, explain how each helped Jo.



ELECTING AN MP

11. Who was elected the new MP for East Dunbartonshire in 2 005?

12. What did Jo have to do to win the election?

13. By how many votes did Jo beat Labour?

14. Who does Jo now represent?

15. Look at the pictures below and then answer the question that follows.

Describe two ways in which party members can help a candidate get elected.



101

ELECTING AN MP

16. Study the pictures below, then answer the question which follows.

Which two pictures show the ways that party members helped Jo

Swinson to get elected?

Write one letter in each of the boxes below.



ELECTING AN MP

17. Study the table below, then answer the question that follows.

2005 UK Election for the Constituency of East Dunbartonshire

Party Number of votes

Liberal Democrat

Labour

Conservative

19,533

15,472

7,708

SNP

Green

2,716

876

SSP 419

The Liberal Democrats will be happy with the result of the 2005 general election in the constituency of East Dunbartonshire.

View of John Kennedy

Explain why the Liberal Democrats will be happy with the result of the 2005 general election in the constituen cy of East

Dunbartonshire.

18. In what two places do MPs represent their constituents?

19. In what two ways does an MP represent his/her constituents inside

Parliament?

20. Copy and complete the passage by filling in the blanks using the phrases and words in the box below.

Debates

In the House of Commons a lot of MPs get together and discuss many issues that are of concern to us. This is called a

____________.



103

ELECTING AN MP

An MP can take part in a debate by _________ _______ and putting forward the _________ _____ ____ _________ who live in his/her __________________.

By doing this the MP is representing his/her constituents

_________ Parliament.

Question Time

In the House of Commons an MP can ask government minis ters to

______________ ______________ about the problems that the people who live in his/her constituency have. They can do this at

_______________.

During Question Time an MP can ask a _______________

____________ to answer a question about the problems that the people who live in their constituency have.

By asking a government minister a question the MP is

______________ his/her constituents inside Parliament. MPs can also ask the PM a question. This is called ______________

_______________ ______________ __________.

During Prime Minister’s Question Time an MP can ask the

________ to answer a question about the problems that the people who live in his/her constituency have.

By asking the Prime Minister a question the MP is representing his/her constituents _____________ ________________.

Word box

Question Time answer questions constituency inside

PM speaking out Debate government views of the people representing minister inside Parliament

Prime Minister’s Question Time



ELECTING AN MP

21. What do we say about the House of Commons when MPs are at work in it?

22. What do you think is the busiest day or days for an MP? Give a reason for your answer.

23. Would you like to become an MP?



MPs Elected at the 2005 General Election by party and gender

Party

Conservative

Male

180

Female

17

Labour 257 98

Liberal Democrat 52 10

SNP 6 0

Using only the information in the table above, decide which two of the following statements about female MPs elected at the 2005 general election are exaggerated.

A. There are more female MPs than male MPs in all the parties.

B. Labour had the most female MPs after the 2005 election.

C. The SNP had the least female MPs after the 2005 election.

D. The Liberal Democrats had the least fem ale MPs after the

2005 election.



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ELECTING AN MP


Source 1

MPs represent or work on behalf of their constituents.

They spend most of their time helping to solve the problems of their constituents.

MPs work long hours and sometimes at weekends.

MPs are elected every five years.

Source 2

MPs represent their constituents.

They spend most of their time speaking with other MPs.

MPs always seem to be in recess or on holiday.

Every five years MPs have to be re-elected.

Sources 1 and 2 give different views about the role of MPs in the

House of Commons.


Your answer must be based on the sources above.



ELECTING AN MP

Difference 1


Difference 2


26. Study the information below, then answer the question that follows.

Women members in the UK and Scottish Parliaments

Out of 646 MPs in the UK Parliament, 128 are female. This is a total of 19.8%.

Out of 129 MSPs in the Scottish Parliament, 42 are female. This is a total of 33%.

There are far fewer female MPs in the UK Parliament than in the


View of John Buchanan

Give one reason to support the view of John Buchanan.


I support the view of John Buchanan because …



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ELECTING AN MP

27. Study the information below, then answer the question which follows.

More women MPs at Westminster

There are now more women MPs at Westminster.

After the general election in 2005 the number of women MPs rose from 18% to 19.8%.

But, since women make up 52% of the population this number is still low in comparison.

Women’s representation at Westminster benefited after the 2005 general election. This is very high in comparison to the number of women who make up the population.

View of Tommy McCusker

Give one reason to support the view of Tommy McCusker and one reason to oppose his view.


I support the view of Tommy McCusker because …

I oppose the view of Tommy McCusker because …



ELECTING AN MP

MPs outside Parliament


 what a recess is

 how an MP represents his/her constituents outside the House of

Commons.

Recess

Like everyone else MPs have holidays. When Parliament is not sitting or closes for a holiday it is called a recess . MPs can go on holiday during a recess because Parliament is closed. They can also go to their constituencies to meet and represent their constituents there.

Parliament is in recess at the following times:



2 weeks at Christmas and New Year



1 week at Easter



1 week in May.

They also have a summer recess from late July to early September and a conference recess from late September to mid -October.

Outside Parliament

How does an MP represent his/her constituents outside the House of

Commons?

When MPs go back to their constituency usually at weekends or during a recess they can work on behalf of their constituents in many ways.

They can hold a surgery . This is when local people can go and meet the

MP.



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ELECTING AN MP

This gives the MP the chance to meet people and listen to their problems and views. Once the MP has met with people and knows their problems and views they can then set about helping to solve them and speak out on their behalf.

They can do this in two ways:

 writing letters on their behalf

 speaking out for them at local meetings.

Activities

1.

Copy and complete the passage by filling in the blanks using the words in the box below.

How an MP represents his/her constituents outside the House of Commons.

When MPs go back to their _______________usually at weekends or during a ____________ they can work on behalf of their

________________ in many ways. They can hold a

____________. This is when local people can go and

____________ the MP. This gives the MP the chance to meet people and listen to their ____________ and ___________. Once the MP has met with people and knows their problems and views s/he can then set about helping to ___________ them and

__________ out on their behalf.

Word bank recess constituency speak problems surgery views constituents meet solve



ELECTING AN MP

2. What do we call it when Parliament is on holiday?

3. What two things can MPs do during a recess?

4. When an MP goes back to their constituency what can they do there?

5. What is an MP’s surgery?

6. Give two ways that an MP can set about helping to solve the problems of their constituents.

Useful websites

You may find these websites useful: http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/members/electing_mps/candidates

.cfm

Information on who can stand as an MP. http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/members/electing_mps.cfm

Information on how MPs are elected. http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/members/mps.cfm

Information on what MPs do – MPs split their time between working inside Parliament and working in their constituency. http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/members/mps_contact/what.cfm

Information on what an MP can do for his/her constituents both inside and outside the House of Commons.



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PRESSURE GROUPS

Section 6: Pressure groups

Democracy and pressure groups


 what a democracy is

 what a pressure group is

 that there are two types of pressure group

 how the government uses pressure groups

 what pressure groups can do to get people to agree with them and join them

 what pressure groups do to influence MPs

 what MPs do to influence parliament

 what the advantages and disadvantages of pressure groups are

 how successful pressure groups are.

Democracy

People in Britain live in a democracy .

A democracy is where people can participate or have a say in how the country is run. They can do this by voting for the people they want to:

 run the country

 make decisions for them.



PRESSURE GROUPS

Sometimes people feel that they do not have a say, or that the people they voted for are not listening to them. When decisions are being made they feel left out.

Other people are not old enough to vote and they also feel left out.

They feel excluded from participating.

But voting is not the only way you can have your say and make a difference. One option is to join a pressure group.

Pressure groups

Pressure groups give people a chance to have a say, to be heard and listened to, to feel included and not left out. They give those who are not allowed to vote the chance to participate.

People who join a pressure group usually have a very strong opinion about something. They get together and try to put pressure on MPs to listen to them and do the things that they want.

In a democracy people have the right to give their opinion. One of the main rights people have in a democracy is the right of Freedom of

Speech .

Freedom of Speech means that you are allowed to give your opinion on any topic. Other people can disagree with you, but they cannot stop you saying what you think.

Pressure groups allow people to use their freedom of speech.

There are two main types of pressure groups.

1.

Sectional pressure groups

2.

Promotional pressure groups

Sectional pressure groups

These groups act on behalf of their members. Their members make up a specific section of society. A section is a small part. Sectional pressure groups highlight the opinions and views of their members.



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PRESSURE GROUPS

Below are examples of sectional pressure groups:

Trade Unions

They try to put pressure on the Government on behalf of their members.

Their members are the section of society that is employed.

British Medical Association (BMA)

This group puts pressure on MPs on behalf of their members.

Their members are the section of society that works in the medical profession, such as doctors and nurses.

Confederation of British Industry (CBI)

This group puts pressure on MPs on behalf of their members. Their members are the section of society who are businessmen.

Promotional pressure groups

These groups act to promote or highlight a specific political or moral cause rather than the interests of their members. Members of promotional pressure groups are usually people who feel very strongly about something that is happening in society.

Below are examples of promotional pressure groups:

Greenpeace

It highlights bad things happening to the environment. It puts pressure on the government to promote policies that will care for the environment.

Amnesty International

It highlights the bad treatment of people in some countries. It puts pressure on the government to promote policies that will help protect people from being tortured in some countries.

ASH (Action on Smoking and Health)

It highlights the dangers of smoking. It puts pressure on the government and all people to promote good health by cutting down on smoking.

Crimestoppers

This group highlights the levels of crime in communities. It puts pressure on the government to promote policies that will r educe crime.



PRESSURE GROUPS

Friends of the Earth

It highlights the damage some industries are causing to the environment. It puts pressure on the government to promote policies that will prevent environmental damage.

CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament)

This group highlights the dangers of nuclear weapons. It puts pressure on the government to promote policies that will lead to nuclear disarmament.

How the government uses pressure groups

The government sometimes finds pressure groups quite useful. There are lots of experts in pressure groups. The government can ask them for information and advice .

This can be useful when the government is making decisions about public services like education and health.

It is useful for the government to speak with the teaching unions, for example the Educational Institute for Scotland (EIS), before making a decision about education.

Also, it is useful for the government to speak with the BMA , which represents doctors, before making a decision about the National Health

Service.

In these cases the pressure groups do not need to put much pressure on the government to be listened to. The government goes to the pressure group for information and advice.

What if the government does not use pressure groups?

A pressure group wants the government and as many people as possible to listen to them and agree with them. If the government does not want to listen to a pressure group then the pressure group needs to put more pressure on them to do so.

They have to let people know who they are. They have to get noticed.

They need publicity .



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PRESSURE GROUPS

The more that people know who they are. The more that people might agree with them and join them. The more pressure they can put on the

MPs to promote policies to help them.

How can pressure groups get people to agree with them and join them?

Pressure groups can do many things to get people to agree with them and join them.

Below are examples of the many things that pressure groups can do to get people to agree with them and join them.

1.

Meetings

The group holds a meeting in a hall or outside in the street. People make speeches. They hope that lots of people will listen a nd agree with them and join the group.

2.

Letters to newspapers

The group writes letters to newspapers highlighting what it does not like. It writes about what they want MPs to do to help them. It wants lots of people to read the letters and agree. It hopes those people will join the group. It hopes that other people will support it by writing to the MPs too.

3.

Petitions

The group makes up a form saying what it wants MPs to do about something. The group stands in the streets or outside supermarkets, asking people to write their name on the form. This shows that the people agree with the ideas. When thousands of names have been collected, the forms are sent to the Prime

Minister or other MPs. This shows that lots of people want something done. The group also hopes that those who have signed the petition will want to join.

4.

Advertising

The group makes posters, leaflets and billboards to highlight what it wants. It wants as many people as possible to know what the problem is and what the group wants done about it. It hopes that this will get lots of people to agree with and join the group.



PRESSURE GROUPS

5.

Television/Radio/Internet

Going on the television or on the radio is a very good way of getting people to know about the problem that the group wants to be solved. It hopes that lots of people will watch and listen to the

TV and radio, will agree and want to join the group. The group also hopes that surfers on the internet will agree with and want to join the group. You can join most pressure group s on their websites.

6.

Direct action

Direct action means taking action directly onto the streets to let people know about something. This could be by having a demonstration. Pressure groups hope that many people will agree with their points of view. People can support the pressure group by joining in with banners. Demonstrations are often on the television news.

All these actions mean that the pressure group can let people know who it represents and what it wants. This can get people to agree with the group. It can lead to more people joining the pressure group and becoming members. The more members a pressure group has the more support it will have. This will result in more pressure being put on MPs to listen to their views and to represent them in Parliament.

What pressure groups do to influence MPs

When a pressure group knows that lots of people agree with them and support them the leader could go to Parliament to speak to and be listened to by an MP about the issue.

Speaking to an MP in Parliament is called lobbying. It is called lobbying because the meeting usually happens in one of the corridors, called a lobby.

What the MP does to influence Parliament

If the MP agrees to help the pressure group s/he can do two things.

1. Ask the Prime Minister a question at Prime Minister ’s Question

Time.



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PRESSURE GROUPS

The Prime Minister must answer and say what he is doing about the issue. The Prime Minister might ask a Minister of a government department to look into the issue.

2. Discuss the issue during a debate in the House of Commons.

The MP could speak about the issue during a debate in the House of Commons. The MP could also suggest a solution in favour of the pressure group.

Advantages and disadvantages of pressure groups

Some people think that pressure groups are good for society and democracy.

Other people think that pressure groups are bad for society and democracy.

In what way can pressure groups be good for society and democracy?

Pressure groups can be good for society and democracy because they can:

 give people the chance to participate or have a say in how the country is run.

Especially those who feel they are not being listened to or are too young to vote.

 bring attention to problems in society.

For example, ASH told lots of people how smoking was bad for health.

 help society to get better.

For example, not so many people smoke now.

 give the Government information, because some of them are experts .

For example, the Government needed to know how many people died each year from diseases to do with smoking.

 encourage freedom of speech.

This means that people who don’t normally give their opinions can feel better about speaking out.



PRESSURE GROUPS

In what way can pressure groups be bad for society and democracy?

Pressure groups can be bad for society and democracy because they:

 are not elected.

Some pressure groups can become very powerful. Not being elected means that you can’t get rid of them the way that you can get rid of

MPs by voting for someone else. In a democracy the most powerful people should be the people who have been elected.

 can be biased.

Biased means that they just give their side of the story and don ’t let you know the other side. For example, ASH wanted people to stop smoking but lots of people want to smoke and don ’t see anything wrong with smoking.

 hold demonstrations.

These can get violent and they also cost a lot of money. This is because there has to be extra policemen watching them and th ey have to be paid overtime. If someone gets arrested it costs a lot for the trial.

 can slow down important changes.

For example, if a pressure group doesn’t want something that the

Government thinks will do a lot of good (like charging drivers for going on some roads at the rush hour) they can hold up the change by having petitions and demonstrations.

 can corrupt MPs by giving them bribes.

They do this so that the MPs will vote for the thing that the pressure group wants.



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PRESSURE GROUPS

How successful are pressure groups?

Some pressure groups are successful, some are not.

A successful pressure group

ASH (Action Against Smoking) was successful.

They wanted to promote good health by getting people to stop or cut down on smoking.

Fewer people in the country now smoke.

Across the UK, you are not allowed to smoke in public places now.

An unsuccessful pressure group

CND (Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament) was not successful.

They wanted nuclear disarmament.

They put pressure on the Government for many years, hel d meetings and demonstrations, wrote letters, made posters and went on to the television and radio to get rid of nuclear weapons.

But we still have nuclear weapons, such as Trident.



PRESSURE GROUPS

Activities

1. Copy and complete the passage by filling in the blanks using the words in the box below.

People in the UK live in a ________________. A democracy is where people can ______________ or have a say in how the country is run. They can do this by ____________ for the people they want to:



_______the country

 make ____________ for them.

Word box decisions participate run voting

2. What are pressure groups?

3. What are the two main types of pressure groups?

4. What do sectional pressure groups do?

5. Write beside each picture below:

(a) the type and name of the pressure group

(b) what the pressure group wants. democracy

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________



121

PRESSURE GROUPS

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

6. What do promotional pressure groups do?

7. Below:

(a) write what each pressure group wants the government to do.

Greenpeace wants the government to …

Amnesty International wants the government to …

ASH wants the government to …

Crimestoppers wants the government to …

Friends of the Earth wants the government to …

CND wants the government to …



PRESSURE GROUPS

8.

Which of the pressure groups would you prefer to join? Give a reason for your answer.

9. Explain why the government sometimes finds pressure groups quite useful.

10. Look at the pictures below. Write beside each picture what the pressure group is doing to get people to agree with them and join them.

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_____________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________



123

PRESSURE GROUPS

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

_______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________



PRESSURE GROUPS

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

______________________

11. Answer the questions below.

(a) Lobbying is

(i) hanging about in the corridor of the House of Commons for a smoke

(ii) speaking to an MP in Parliament

(iii) painting and decorating the lobby.

(b) There are two main things that an MP can do to help the pressure group to get what they want. Choose two of the following.

(i) Gang up with other MPs and make the Prime Minister do what the pressure group wants.

(ii) Write a polite note to the Prime Minister asking for what they want.

(iii) Ask the Prime Minister a question at Prime Minister ’s

Question Time in the House of Commons.

(iv) Write to the House of Lords.

(v) Forget it.

(vi) Write a bill to be discussed in the House of Commons and the House of Lords. If they vote for it in the House of Commons it could become a new law.

(vii) Invite the pressure group to tea with the Prime Minister.

(viii) Discuss the issue during a debate in the House of

Commons.



125

PRESSURE GROUPS

12. Why do some people think that pressure groups are good for society and democracy? Copy the reasons below and write in the example or explanation underneath it (using the information on page 118).

(a) They give people the chance to take part or participate in politics.

(b) They bring attention to problems in society.

(c) They help society to get better.

(d) They give the government information and advice because some of their members are experts.

(e) They encourage freedom of speech.

13. Why do some people think that pressure groups are bad for society and democracy? Copy the reasons below and write in the example or explanation underneath it (using the information on page 119).

(a) They are not elected.

(b) They can be biased.

(c) They hold demonstrations.

(d) They can slow down important changes.

(e) They can corrupt MPs by giving them bribes.

14. Answer the following questions.

(a) What is ASH and what did it want?

(b) Do you think that ASH will continue to be a pressure group?


(c) What do CND want?

(d) Why do you think the CND was not successful?



PRESSURE GROUPS

(e) Look back to the information on all the pressure groups.

(i) Which of them do you think will be successful in the future? Give a reason for your answer.

(ii) Which of them do you think will not be successful in the future? Give a reason for your answer.

15. Imagine that you are a member of one of the pressure groups mentioned above.

Write a letter to your MP, telling them what you and your group think is wrong, and what they should do about it in the House of Commons.

Dear

I am writing to you on behalf of the pressure group

____________________________ ________________________. There are a few things that we think are wrong with our society. One of these is:

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

We as a group expect you to influence the House of Commons and the

Prime Minister as soon as you can about these issues. We would like you to

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________

We expect to hear from you in the near future.

Yours faithfully,



127

PRESSURE GROUPS

16. Read again the section on How can pressure groups get people to agree with them and join them?

on page 116.

Which method do you think would work best? Write them below in the order that you think is best, starting with the most useful and ending with the method you think would probably not work well.

1. __________________________________________________

2. __________________________________________________

3. __________________________________________________

4. __________________________________________________

5. __________________________________________________

6. __________________________________________________

Give your reason for choosing the Number 1 method.


Source 1

Some people think that pressure groups are good for democracy.

Pressure groups allow those people who are not allowed to vote a chance to be heard.

Although members are unelected pressure groups have a right to influence MPs.



PRESSURE GROUPS

Source 2

Some people think that pressure groups are bad for democracy.

Pressure groups attract the young who are not allowed to vote.

Because members are unelected pressure groups have no right to influence MPs.



Difference 1


Difference 2



Membership of different pressure groups

Greenpeace 250,000

Bostone Swimming Club – Save Our Swimming Pool 35

Friends of the Earth (Scotland) 7,000

CND (Scotland)

Amnesty International

5,000

400,000



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PRESSURE GROUPS

A. All pressure groups have similar membership.

B. Amnesty International has the most members.

C. CND (Scotland) has more members than Greenpeace.

D. The Save Our Swimming Pool group has the fewest members.

Using only the information in the table above, decide which two statements are true and which two are false .



19. Study the pictures below about pressure group action.

People signing a petition Holding a demonstration in the street



PRESSURE GROUPS

The pictures show two ways in which pressure groups can get people to agree with them and join them.

Explain why each way can be a good way to get people to agree with a pressure group and join it.

20. Name one more way that pressure groups can get people to agree with them and join them.

Useful websites

You may find these websites useful http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/pressure_groups.htm

Information on what a pressure group is, also sectional and promotional pressure groups, insider and outsider pressure groups and the effectiveness of pressure groups. http://www.tuc.org.uk

The official website of the Trades Union Congress (TUC). The national trade union centre in the UK, representing the vast majority of organised workers. http://www.bma.org.uk

The official website of the British Medical Association (BMA). The professional association for doctors. http://www.cbi.org.uk

The official website of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI). The

UK’s leading employers’ organisation. Representing public and private sector companies. http://www.greenpeace.org.uk

The official website of Greenpeace with information and resources on

Greenpeace. http://www.amnesty.org.uk

The official website of Amnesty International with information and resources on Amnesty International.



131

PRESSURE GROUPS http://www.ash.org.uk

The official website of Action on Smoking and Health (ASH-UK) with information and resources on ASH. http://www.crimestoppers-uk.org

The official website of Crimestoppers, an independent UK-wide charity working to stop crime. http://foe.co.uk

The official website of Friends of the Earth, which exists to protect and improve the conditions for life on Earth, now and for the future. http://www.cnduk.org

The official website of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (CND) that campaigns to rid the world of nuclear weapons and other weapons of mass destruction and to create security for future generations.



MEDIA

Section 7: Media

Types of media


 what we mean by the media

 what the most common forms of the media are

 that there are two main types of newspaper

 why some newspapers sell more than others

 that newspapers have power

 that newspapers can influence the government.

What do we mean by the media?

The media is the name we give to the different ways that people can get information. It is also a way to communicate with many people and is a form of entertainment.

What does the media do?

The media does three things:

 it provides information

 it communicates with many people

 it provides entertainment.

People get most of their information about politics and what is happening in the world from the media.



133

MEDIA

What are the most common forms of media?

The most common forms of the media today are:



Newspapers



Television



Radio



Internet

Newspapers

There are some newspapers that are printed every day. There are other newspapers that are printed every week, usually on a Sunday. Both provide information to many people.

Newspapers provide information on:



News



Gossip



Sport



Advertising

There are two main types of newspaper:



Tabloid



Broadsheet

Tabloid newspapers

Readers of tabloid newspapers usually have less of an interest in politics and more of an interest in gossip and entertainment.

For this reason tabloid newspapers usually have bright, eye catching pictures and headlines on the front page.

They also tend to focus on trivial or local interest stories and entertainment.

This usually includes gossip columns about the private lives of celebrities, pop stars and football stars.



MEDIA

They tend to be smaller in size than broadsheet newspapers.

Broadsheet newspapers

Readers of broadsheet newspapers usually have more of an interest in politics.

For this reason broadsheet newspapers usually have more serious headlines on the front page.

They also tend to focus on more serious news and political stories.

This usually involves more in-depth articles about serious political issues with few pictures and less on the private lives of celebrities.

They tend to be bigger in size than tabloid newspapers.

Below is a list of some of the Scottish daily and Sunday tabloid and broadsheet newspapers.

Daily Newspaper

Tabloid Newspaper Broadsheet Newspaper

The Sun

Daily Record

Sunday Newspaper

Herald

Scotsman

Tabloid Newspaper

Sunday Mail

Broadsheet Newspaper

Sunday Herald

Sunday Post Scotland on Sunday

Below is the view of a tabloid reader.

‘I buy the Sun because it’s smaller in size. This makes it easier for me to hold and read. I am not interested in long stor ies about politics. Yes,

I want to know what is going on but I prefer the shorter stories that you get in the Sun with words that are easy to understand. It also has funny headlines and great colour pictures and cartoons too. I enjoy finding out about the stars and what they have been up to. I really like to read about the scandals and who has dumped who. That is why I read the Sun. ’



135

MEDIA

Below is the view of a broadsheet reader.

‘I buy the Herald because it writes articles on politics, economics and foreign affairs. It also writes in greater detail about issues with more sophisticated language that I am used to. I do not want to read about gossip and what our so-called celebrities are up to. I read the Herald because it is a serious and quality newspaper. ’

Newspaper sales

If a newspaper sells a lot of copies it means that a lot of people want to read it. It is very popular with readers. It also means that a lot of people get their information about what is happening in the world from it.

The tables below show the number of copies sold of Scottish tabloid and broadsheet newspapers during the month of March 2007.

Daily Newspaper


The Sun

Daily Record

Number of copies sold in March 2007

405,049

376,802

Sunday Newspaper


Sunday Mail

Sunday Post

Daily Newspaper


Herald

Scotsman

Sunday Newspaper


Sunday Herald

Scotland on Sunday


465,460

287,219


70,907

56,094


54,738

69,237

Source: www.allmediascotland.com



MEDIA

The above tables show that while all newspapers are very popular, some are more popular than others.

We can tell this by looking at how many copies they sell. If a newspaper sells a lot of copies it is very popular. If it sells fewer copies it is less popular.

Tabloid newspapers tend to sell more copies than broadsheet newspapers. This is true on a daily basis and also on Sundays.

Tabloid newspapers are more popular in Scotland than broadsheet newspapers. They write less serious but more popular stories and are known as the popular press .

Broadsheet newspapers tend to sell fewer copies than tabloid newspapers. This is true on a daily basis and also on Sundays.

Broadsheet newspapers are therefore less popular in Scotland than tabloid newspapers. They write better quality but less popular stories and are known as the quality press .

Why do some newspapers sell more than others?

Tabloid newspapers

Some people might prefer to read tabloid newspapers because of their smaller size. This can make them easier to read, especially on a train or bus.

Some people might want to read about more local interest stories.

Some people might prefer the bright colour pictures and cartoons.

Some people might enjoy reading about celebrities and their lives.



137

MEDIA

Broadsheet newspapers

Some people might prefer to read broadsheet newspapers because they want to know more about what is going on in the world not just in the local area.

Some people might prefer to read more serious and in -depth stories.

Some people might prefer to read a story without looking at pictures and cartoons.

Some people might not be interested in the private lives of celebrities.

People have a choice of which newspaper to read.

As we have seen above, most people buy and read a particular newspaper because of what interests them the most.

If they are more interested in gossip and local news with large headlines and colourful pictures they will read a tabloid newspaper.

If they are more interested in the serious news and what is going on in the world they will read a broadsheet newspaper.

The power of newspapers

It is clear that many people read newspapers. For som e it is their main way of finding out about politics and what is in the news.

This makes newspapers a very good way to provide information for people and to communicate with many people.

Politicians and the power of newspapers

Politicians can use this power of newspapers. They can use the press to communicate with many people and provide information about their policies or what they are going to do for the country.

When they do this we say that they are using the power of the media to set the political agenda.



MEDIA

This is because they are having an influence on the political system.

Newspaper owners and the power of newspapers

Newspaper owners can also use this power of newspapers. The political stories and pictures printed in their newspapers are often their own views.

Providing information to people and being able to communicate with many people can make their newspapers very powerful. This is because they can influence the way that many people feel or think because of what is written in them.

If people believe what they read in newspapers this gives the newspapers and their owners some control over them.

Do newspapers control the way that people vote?

People who vote in elections have to decide who to vote for. Very often they are not sure who to vote for. Newspapers can help them to decide who to vote for.

This is because some newspapers support one party over all the others.

When this happens they will write good stories about that party and bad stories about the other parties.

This is called being biased .

A newspaper that is biased can influence the reader to believe that one party is better than all the others and that they should vote for that party. This is because many people think that ‘if it is in the paper then it must be true’.

Tabloid newspapers use large headlines, colour pictures and even funny cartoons to make their stories more interesting. They often show favouritism for one party and make fun of the others. They can be biased.

Broadsheet newspapers use more serious news and cartoons to make their stories seem truer. They often show favouritism for one party as being very able and show the other parties to be less able. They can be biased.



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Newspapers and the UK General Elections

In the last two General Elections in the UK the Sun newspaper claimed to have used its power to win for Labour. It was biased in favour of the

Labour party.

In 1997 it claimed that ‘ It was the sun wot swung it

’

In 2001 it said that the ‘ Sun still shines for Blair’

And in 2005 it told readers to ‘ Vote Labour Today...Come on you

Reds

’.

Can newspapers influence the Government?

Newspapers can have an influence on the way that people vote because of what they write.

Since the government want voters to vote for them they like newspapers to write good stories about them and not make fun of them. They want this because good newspaper stories can make them look good at running the country and will influence people to vote for them.

Bad newspaper stories can make them look bad at running the country and will influence people not to vote for them.

Sometimes the only way to get newspapers to write good stories about the government is for the government to act in a way that the newspapers want. The government may even agree to have policies that newspapers want to get the newspaper to support them.

If this happens then it could be said that the newspapers are controlling or influencing the government.

Newspapers are very popular and are a good way to provide information and communicate with many people.

This makes them very powerful. It puts them in a very powerful position to influence the public and the government.



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Activity

1. Study the newspaper story below, then answer the question that follows.

YOU’RE NOT FIT TO RUN OUR SPORTS

HUNDREDS of millions of pounds meant to be spent on sports have been left in Government bank accounts, it was revealed yesterday.

The government is accused of depriving communities as only £6.8 million of £750 million promised for sports in Britain’s most rundown areas has actually been spent.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Menzies Campbell, a former Olympic sprinter, blasted: ‘This Government has broken its promise to provide sports activities and coaching in our most deprived areas ’.

Adapted from the Mirror 21/4/07

The government has invested a lot of money in sports.

View of government MP

Give one reason to oppose the view of the government MP.

Your answer must be based only on the newspaper article above.

A reason to oppose the view of the government MP is that he says

… and the newspaper article states …



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Case Study 1: Influence of the press on politics

You are now going to carry out two surveys among the people in your class.

Survey 1

In groups carry out a survey among the people in your class to show:

1. The type of newspaper that is read the most by the people in your class.

2. Why they read this type of newspaper.

Remember the two types of newspaper are tabloid and broadsheet .

You should use the table below. You should ask the questions in the table and use the table to record the number of answers you get.

An example is given below.

(Note: if someone does not read a newspaper then ask them to choose what type they would read if they had the choice.)

Example

The type of newspaper read by the people in my cla ss

Question

Do you read a tabloid newspaper?

Do you read a broadsheet newspaper?

Number l l l l l

I I

Question

Why do you read this type of newspaper?

Answer smaller size larger size l l l l local interest stories serious and in-depth stories gossip headlines l l l l l l l l l l



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Now copy and complete your own table.

The type of newspaper read by the people in my class

Question

Do you read a tabloid newspaper?

Number

Do you read a broadsheet newspaper?

Question Answer

Why do you read this type of newspaper? smaller size larger size local interest stories serious and in-depth stories gossip headlines

Now use the results from your survey to draw two bar graphs: one should show the type of newspaper that is read the most by the people in your class. The other bar graph should show why they read this type of newspaper.

Examples are given below.

If five people read a tabloid and two people read a broadsheet, then you graph would look like the one on the next page.



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Type of newspaper read the most by those in my class

5

4

3

2

Key :

Tab = Tabloid

Broad = Broadsheet

1

0

Tab Broad

Reasons why people in my class choose a particular newspaper

5

4

3

2

1

0 small local gossip headlines

Based on the result of your survey give a short conclusion about the type of newspaper that is read the most by the people in your class and the reasons why .



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In conclusion, based on my survey the type of newspaper that is read the most by the people in my class is …

Some reasons for this could be …

Survey 2

In groups carry out a survey among the people in your class to show the name of the newspaper that is read the most by the people in your class.

You should use the table below. You should ask the questions in the table and use the table to record the number of answers you get.

To help you look at the examples of the tables from Survey 1.

The name of the newspaper read the most by the people in my class

What is the name of the newspaper you read?

Name

Daily Record

Herald

Sun

Scotsman

Number

Mirror

Express

Guardian

Any other newspaper – give the name below

Now use the results from your survey to draw a bar graph to show the name of the newspaper which is read the most by the people in your class.



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To help you look at the examples of the bar graphs f rom Survey 1.

Based on the result of your survey give a short conclusion about the name of the newspaper that is read the most by the people in your class.

In conclusion, based on my survey the name of the newspaper that is read the most by the people in my class is …

A reason for this could be …

Now, imagine that you are an MP and you need to be re -elected at a general election. You want everyone in your class to vote for you.

What newspaper would you use to communicate with them and give them information about yourself so that they will vote for you?


In your answer you should use some of the words in the box below and the results from your surveys above. tabloid circulation headlines power broadsheet easy to read popular eye-catching pictures serious news and political stories influence bias quality

If I was an MP and needed to be re-elected the newspaper I would use to communicate with the people in my class and give them information about myself so that they will vote for me would be …

The reason I would use this newspaper is because …



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Case Study 2: Bias – the influence of the press on politics

Sometimes newspapers can be guilty of bias . (Read again about bias in

Do newspapers control the way that people vote?

)

Bias means to take a one-sided viewpoint or opinion. Newspapers can print the same story with different viewpoints or opinions.

Read the two newspaper headlines and stories below. They both report on the same story – the resignation of the Deputy Prime Minister John

Prescott in May 2007.

Answer the questions below.

Good riddance

BREAK out the champagne! ‘Two Jags’ Prescott is on his way at last!

Prezza’s resignation has been a long time coming.

Many would ask why the Deputy PM was not sacked months ago.

He has lingered on like a bad smell.

Adapted from the Sun

Prescott confirms decision to quit

John Prescott has formally announced his intention to quit as Labour ’s deputy leader – shortly after PM Tony Blair’s resignation speech.

In an open letter to his constituency party, he said: ‘As I informed you a couple of weeks ago, I intend to stand down as Deputy PM ’.

Adapted from the Herald



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1. Which headline do you think is biased against John Prescott?

2. Write down three phrases from the repo rt which show that this newspaper is biased against the Deputy PM?

3. Now visit the two newspaper websites below and choose a political news story that appears in each that shows bias.

 www.theherald.co.uk

– broadsheet newspaper

 www.dailyrecord.co.uk

– tabloid newspaper

Copy the headlines and phrases from each story that clearly show bias in the boxes below.

Headline 1

Headline 2



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Phrases 1

Phrases 2

Useful websites

You may find these newspaper websites useful http://www.theherald.co.uk

http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk

http://www.thesun.co.uk

http://www.sundaymail.co.uk

http://www.sundaypost.com

http://www.allmediascotland.com



149

Modern Studies Political Issues in the UK: Government and Decision Making

Modern Studies

Political Issues in the UK:

Government and Decision Making in Central Government

[ACCESS 3]

Contents

Introduction

Articulation with a Curriculum for Excellence

Section 1: The UK Parliament

What is Parliament?

The UK Parliament

Activities

House of Commons

What is the House of Commons?

What does the House of Commons do?

Activities

Inside the House of Commons

The House of Commons Chamber

Activities

The Monarchy

The role of the Queen

Activities

Laws and Parliament

How new laws are made in Parliament

Activities

Opposition in Parliament

Her Majesty’s Opposition

Activities

The House of Lords

What is the House of Lords?

What does the House of Lords do?

What is a Peer?

Reform of the House of Lords

Activities

Parties and the Lords

Political parties in the House of Lords

Activities

Useful websites

Section 2: The Scottish Parliament

A Parliament for Scotland

Scottish Parliament

What is meant by the special relationship?

Working together

Activities

Useful websites

Section 3: The Government and Executive

Role and powers of the Prime Minister, the Cabinet and the Civil Service

The Government and Executive

Role and powers of the Prime Minister

What does the Civil Service do?

The Cabinet

Activities

Places in Parliament

Frontbenchers and backbenchers

Activities

Parliamentary whips

Whips

Activity

Useful websites

Section 4: An Election

Voting

General Election

Activities

Who can vote?

What does a voting form look like?

Constituencies

Electoral System

Activities

Useful websites

Section 5: Electing an MP

Election Campaigns

Electing an MP

Jo Swinson’s election campaign

Role of an MP

What an MP does

Activities

MPs outside Parliament

Recess

Outside Parliament

Activities